The Raider Headhunt
by Leaded-Pegasus
Summary: AU: After Annabeth Chase's father finds himself in a debt that he is unable to repay, she is taken aboard the ship belonging to the ruthless Captain Roi as an alternative form of payment. Before long, she meets Percy Jackson, a deckhand aboard the ship. And while he appears unsuspecting, it doesn't take long for her to realize that he might just have other plans in mind...
1. I: The Roi of Riches

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm back with yet another story, which is an AU! For those of you who are a little more familiar with me, I don't really like over-used AU concepts. And in this case, I consider this a pirate AU, which has kind of been used a lot. But, it's not really your traditional swash-buckling story. If anything, it just takes place in the Golden Age of Piracy. Of course, there will be plenty of plundering, sword/gun fights, and, as always, a little romance. So, if you came for a goofy story with Captain Percy and his band of demigod pirates, you came to the wrong place. But, for those of you who haven't clicked away yet, I hope you thoroughly enjoy the story!**

**Rating: T for violence, some language, and very minor adult themes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Each and every one of them belongs to Rick Riordan.**

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><p><span><strong>The Raider Headhunt<strong>

**I:The Roi of Riches**

_In the origin years of The Golden Age of Piracy, in 1650, European settlers were once again allowed passage into the New World. Settlers surged in from Europe, intrigued by the riches and wealth that could be reaped from the foreign land. And, following the siege of Port Royal, located in Jamaica, from the Spanish, English settlers especially benefited from the New World, as well as pirates, merchants, and sailors alike. New life could be found there, but often times, it came at a severe and corrupt cost. A cost that was filled with bloodied hands and throats slit in the night. And for one family in particular, it would be too late to truly realize, as well as prevent that very violence that would come to destroy them…_

White, V-shaped forms drifted freely above the sea over the sharp blue contrast of the sky. They glided through the choppy air for a few moments, before diving downwards, towards the dark water. Occasionally, after their brief scrape-in with the sea, they would appear again, a fish or two clamped under their beaks. She would smile faintly if they did end up being successful in their attempts at getting food. But she eventually faltered when she realized what she was doing.

"God..."

She muttered under her breath, sliding her elbow away from its resting spot on the windowsill. A sharp slap cut through the air, followed by a stinging pain in her left hand.

"Lady Chase!" Her senior nurse cried out beside her, a shocked expression on her face.

She clutched the hand to her chest from the surprise, "Why on earth would you do that?"

"You know your father would do much worse to you if he heard you talking like that, my Lady," She said, her aged face softening slightly.

"You're right..."

The nurse resumed brushing through her hair a minute longer, before leaning back to examine it. She shooed the other women who stood about fixing and adjusting things here and there on the girl. They backed away, almost gracefully, their heads bowed until their chins touched their chests.

"Beautiful," She said, "But is that truly much of a surprise when we're talking about you, my dear Annabeth?"

"I can hardly breathe," She protested to the nurse, "This dress will squeeze the life out of me!"

She regarded Annabeth with a stern expression, "Now, my Lady, we must not complain about such petty things. Come, your mother and father are expecting you."

"At such an early hour?" Annabeth inquired,

"Of course,"

The nurse held out a hand, steadying Annabeth as she rose from her chair. Her chambermaids came forward once more in order to give her dress one final glance-over, pecking away like chickens at her feet for any remnants of dirt or any stray pieces of hair of sorts.

"You didn't forget the date already?"

Annabeth glanced up at her with a dumbfounded glance. They hurried out of her room, down the hall leading to the stairwell.

"It's the fourteenth of June, my Lady."

She blinked a few times at this announcement, "Oh...Of course."

Annabeth's eyes drifted up, as if they were trying to roll back in order to search into her mind. Had it already been another six months added to the timeline? That would make it the eighth six-month interval, four years spent there, overseas, and away from England. Her eyes slowly revolved from the ceiling to the left, where windows lined the walls when there weren't paintings making up for the spare space. She stared out across the ocean, longingly, as if she could somehow, someway, spot the shoreline of her old home on the horizon.

The view that the windows provided cut off suddenly, as they entered the stairwell leading downstairs. Annabeth nearly slipped down the steps, but her nurse intervened by grabbing her wrist.

"Lady Chase!"

"Yes, sorry," Annabeth muttered apologetically.

"One more step and you would've had a nasty fall."

She placed her foot on the next stair down, only this time with a little more caution. Her chambermaids and nurse assisted in lifting the many layers of fabric that made of Annabeth's dress as a precaution. Annabeth continued down the stone steps leading down a spiral shape.

"I always dread this date, and I always will," Her nurse scoffed.

"That makes two of us, nurse."

The nurse caressed Annabeth's shoulder in reassurance.

"As long as I'm by your side, my dear, no harm will come to you from those-those..._Animals_ that call themselves men. Not before they get through me."

Annabeth stuttered over her words for a moment, "Nurse..."

"Oh, never mind me. The wrong thoughts simply came out into words. I'll hold my tongue in the future, my Lady, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "There's no need to apologize."

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase. The chambermaids continued to hike up the backside of the dress fabric. The group of women continued onwards, towards the dining room where Annabeth's mother and father were waiting for her. At the end of the hall, they approached the doors leading to the aforementioned room. A pair of her father's men stood guard. Her nurse gave her one final glance-over,

"Remember," She said, "_Manners_."

Annabeth laughed faintly, "Nurse, please."

"Go on, then. And I'll see you in a little while."

The two men heaved the massive doors open for Annabeth, and she nodded to them once in gratitude. Long but empty wooden tables were laid out through the dining room, and one at the far end of the massive room faced her. Her parents sat at it, also facing her. She could see her father rise from the table, arms outstretched,

"Annabeth, my dear!" He called, his voice cheery, "Come, sit, and join your mother and I for breakfast!"

Annabeth rounded the edge of the table, taking a seat beside her mother,

"Good morning mother, father."

Automatically, she felt uncomfortable with her seating orientation. Isolated, alone, despite the fact that she did have company. Her father had almost always required them to sit side-by-side, rather than across from each other. He was always prepared for receiving visitors, even when it came to table arrangements.

"It is a good morning, indeed," Her father sighed almost dreamily, waving a carafe-wielding servant over to Annabeth's direction. Within a few brief moments, her glass was filled with a deep, dark liquid, and she brought the cup up to her nose slowly. Annabeth breathed in slowly, taking in the strong aroma. Coffee, one of the few things she enjoyed that, to her advantage, was plentiful in the New World. A light coat of steam began to condensate on her nose, and she eventually was jarred from her infatuation with the smell by her mother, who nudged her arm,

"Careful," She warned, "Or you'll lose the tip of your nose."

Annabeth grinned, setting the hot beverage back onto the table top. Her mother returned the kindly smile, the corners of her mouth and eyes crinkling,

"You look lovely today, Annabeth."

"I appreciate your compliment," She answered, "But I think you should thank the nurse and the chambermaids for my appearance. I had nothing to do with it."

Her mother nodded slowly, "I'll keep that in mind, then."

Two seats over, Annabeth's father sputtered on his coffee,

"Keep that in mind?" He echoed, "It's their _job_ to make her look presentable, my dear! They shouldn't be thanked for something that they're required to do, given that they want to be paid!"

Her father laughed wetly, as he still had liquid caught in his throat. It turned into a violent coughing fit again, as he pounded on his chest with a hand curled into a fist.

"Of course, Frederick," Annabeth's mother countered, "But this isn't about their requirements. It's about them being aware of our gratitude."

He shook his head in disagreement as he continued to hack, "They must be aware of the boundaries. Giving thanks will cause them to slack, become too relaxed in their work. And before long, our precious daughter wouldn't be so beautiful!"

Annabeth's hand clenched in her lap, and her eyes narrowed in size at her father's comment. Athena clamped her hand to her mouth.

"Please!" Frederick quickly continued, waving a hand, "Do not take that as a personal attack, my dear. I would never let them grow so out of hand. They would be fired before I would let that happen. Do you not think that I know where I'm coming from with these comments, what with my line of work?"

"It's not that, my dear. You of all people know how to manage others, and that's especially due to your line of work."

Her father nodded slowly, relief on his face,

"Good, good."

He coughed one final time, before rising from the table.

"Well, I suppose I should be off for now, in order to make final arrangements."

Her mother frowned, laughing slightly, "Frederick, you've been making final arrangements for the past _week_ now. What more is there to be done?"

"Athena," Her father kissed her mother's hand lightly, "My business with Captain Roi is one of the most vital partnerships I have. And my appearance is the most important thing if I am to continue business with him. I promise you, once our usual arrangements have been agreed upon, everything will go back to normal, and you'll have me all to yourself for the next six months."

Frederick kissed her hand one final time, before releasing it and rounding the table. He began to jog out of the dining hall,

"I promise you!" He repeated over his shoulder.

When he had left the room, Athena sighed with contentment, leaning back in her seat.

"He hasn't changed a bit since we first met, you know."

"Really?" Annabeth asked, astounded, "Because if I fully knew that he was more invested in his business than his own wife and daughter, I would have held off on marrying him."

"Annabeth!"

She felt a slight twinge of guilt at the sight of her mother's devastated expression and tone of voice, but not much more than that. But Annabeth broke away from her mother's wide-eyed expression.

"How could you ever say something so poorly of your father? After all that he's sacrificed, after all that he's done for us-"

"After all that he's done for us!" Annabeth repeated angrily.

"Yes!" Athena said.

She rose from her seat, glaring down at her mother, "I would never call you a naive person, mother, except under the circumstances of speaking about him."

Her mother continued to look at Annabeth, wide-eyed and speechless. Annabeth had more than a few negative things she could say about her father, but she held back for the sake of her mother, who appeared to be on the verge of tears as it was. They locked eyes with one another, silent. Eventually, Athena spoke up,

"Well," She swallowed, "I'm sorry you feel that way about him. But you would do particularly well to remember, Annabeth, that you are much more fortunate than many. You may dislike your father, but you must always, always, be grateful for what he has done for us. Let me remind you of that much."

Annabeth turned away from her mother, walking away as she left her mother alone at the breakfast table.

* * *

><p>Annabeth stormed out of her father's complex, marching down the cobblestone path that led away from it. She broke away from the main road, going down a much more weathered direction that went downhill, towards the shore. Kicking up sand as she went, she forced herself to a stop just where the tide washed up. The aquamarine water just barely grazed her covered toes, giving off a slightly cooling sensation. Already sweat began to accumulate on her forehead, and she stared up at the cruel sun,<p>

"Is this your way of punishing me?" Annabeth muttered.

She sighed, as her gaze was drawn again to the water. It was tempting, tempting to simply jump in, dress and all, as if it would provide some solace from her argument with her mother, along with her other problems. Annabeth knew that her mother was right, that she should be grateful. But she couldn't help but let the bitter hatred she had against her father overwhelm a much more difficult step: Forgiving him.

How could she? After sailing from London to the unknown lands contained in Jamaica, and even beforehand, her father had been all but consumed entirely in his growing business. It was all that ever seemed to cross his mind. Some less merciful than Annabeth in her remarks against her father might have even perceived him as corrupt, greedy. Maybe almost as much as the very pirates and merchants that he dealt with on a daily basis.

Acknowledging the fact that Frederick was her father, she bit her tongue whenever that comment came to mind. But nevertheless, she couldn't help but ponder it. As she stood frozen, and almost in a trance, his very voice took her from it.

"Annabeth!" He called.

She glanced to the right, in the direction her father's voice had come from. He was jogging towards her, and it was almost as if he hadn't sped up or slowed down his pace since the dining room.

"Annabeth, my dear," He echoed, his voice filled with a fair amount of anxiety, "What are you doing here? It's much too hot out here for you to be taking strolls."

Annabeth looked over her father's shoulder. The house stood on a hill with massive stones and boulders. A little to the right, a large dock had been built into the shore, as well as the hill, and led up to the side entrance leading inside. In the distance, she could see men pacing about on the docks, presumably waiting for their employer's business partner.

"Please, father, if you wanted me out of the way for when the captain arrived, you could have simply asked," She countered, stepping towards him, "After all, we wouldn't want your appearance to be tarnished, would we?"

Annabeth just barely stood a few inches taller than her father, but he still had a demeanor threatening enough to make her sink to her knees out of fear. And that was one of the few times she had seen it directed towards her. His already reddened face darkened, standing out considerably in contrast to his sandy blonde hair, as he glared at her. And before she could react, her father brought a swift hand up to her face. The force of the strike caused her to stumble back into the sand. He walked a few paces towards her, his shadow looming over her,

"If you think," He growled, jabbing a finger in her direction, "That for one second, I will tolerate that from you today in front of Captain Roi, or any other day following this one for that matter, then that will be the worst mistake you will ever make in your_ entire_ life. Do you hear me?"

Frederick stepped towards her again, his finger still pointed down at her.

"Do you hear me?" He bellowed, a vein protruding from his neck.

She nodded, backing away from him in the sand with her hands raised defensively, "Yes! I do..."

His hand dropped to his side, and while he was still facing her, he began to walk away slowly.

"Good...Good," A false, thin-lipped smile spread across his face, "Just remember to keep that in mind, my dear."

Her father walked away, marching back towards the docks, gusts of sand flying out from underneath his boots. Annabeth stared at his figure in shock, as she continued to lay in the sand. She quickly stood, rushing towards the house under her father's wishes, and out of fear of the consequences that would inevitably follow if she stayed a moment longer. As she continued up the path, her eyes stung, but she hastily blinked the potential tears welling up. She swore to herself that she wouldn't give into his threatening tactics, just as she did with his growing debt of promises that he had yet to make up for.

Annabeth's hands curled into fists out of the fierce defiance she wished had made an appearance earlier. But the shock and awe factor of her father's outburst was overwhelming, and more saddening than anything. A small part of her wished she could forgive him for the corruption from the growing wealth to be found in the New World. But that urge went away just as quickly as it had been born into her mind when she reminded herself that it had brought it upon himself. And even if she did forgive him, what would that truly accomplish?

No, she was positive that her father was long past the point of being saved from his own ambitions of wealth and status, despite how much she dreaded the thought. She was sure that he had reached the peak of true greed. But, she was reminded that people often had the ways and means to surprise her. And in this case, she was afraid of what might happen if he did somehow out-do his own consuming sin. As she approached the front doors, she was quickly granted entry by the two guards posted by the door.

She walked at a fast gait, more anger-fueled and quickened than at the pace she had walked earlier following the argument between her and her mother. Annabeth practically charged up the stairs, nearly tripping over her dress more than a few times. As she reached the top step, she grabbed a fistful of the cloth in her hands, hiking it up to assist in her walking. Her loud, echoing footsteps finally attracted the attention of her nurse, who appeared as she walked out of her quarters.

"Annabeth?" She called, but she walked past her nurse, ignoring her.

"Annabeth!" The nurse repeated, "Come back here! I am talking to you!"

She stopped in her tracks, knowing her nurse would simply follow her until she stopped evading her. Annabeth turned, her nurse examining her.

"What happened to you?" She demanded, ghosting her fingers on the mark which had presumably appeared from her father striking her, "And what happened to your dress?"

Her nurse quickly began to swipe away the patches of sand that still remained in the fabric of her clothing. Annabeth held the still-stinging mark in her hand,

"It was my father."

"Your father?" She echoed, faltering in her cleaning, "Oh, dear..."

The nurse rose from her crouched position, "Come, I'll bring you to your room. We mustn't allow you to go to tonight's dinner with that ghastly mark on your face."

* * *

><p>"Be still," Her nurse scolded, dabbing a cold cloth on the strike point, "I'm sure it doesn't hurt as much as you're acting it is."<p>

Annabeth sighed, "It doesn't. I'm sorry."

"Say no more, say no more."

When she was done applying the cloth, she dipped it back in the dish she had soaked it in.

"Now," Her nurse continued, rummaging through Annabeth's collection of make-up, "Tell me why your father came to hit you."

Annabeth looked out the window, where the gulls were still circling above the water for their next meal.

"I said something I shouldn't have."

She sighed at her ward, "Oh, Annabeth...You must learn to hold your tongue. What are you to do when you're married? If you keep up with the habit, you'll be divorced before the wedding reception is even over!"

The nurse dabbed a small amount of powder on Annabeth's cheek, where her father had slapped her.

"I'll never marry. Not here, anyway," She glared out the window, "If he had his way, he would marry me off to one of those grisly pirates if it meant making a profit."

While she didn't laugh at her joke, her nurse stifled a smirk while shaking her head slowly.

"You've got spark, my dear, and I fear that it will be your downfall one day. But perhaps, you'll find a suitable husband one day who rivals you in your fiery character who can perhaps tame you in your ways."

Annabeth chuckled, "I would certainly like to see someone try."

Her nurse dabbed a few more splotches of powder, leaning back to examine her work as she did. Finally, she saw it adequately applied,

"There," She piped, "You would never even guess that anything was there."

Her nurse scavenged up the makeup, returning it to its container.

"Now," She said, "Your father's business partner won't be arriving until this evening, but I shall return in a few hour's time to get you in your evening gown."

Annabeth nodded, "Very well, nurse."

The nurse stood, "And I'm certain you'll stay out of trouble, no?"

"Of course."

"Good," She replied, opening the door leading out, "I shall see you then, my dear."

Shutting the door behind her, the nurse vanished from sight. Annabeth sighed, looking around her room from the table closest to the window. She looked out the windows again, for any sign of a ship arriving from the sea. But no such ship was visible in their cove, the one that they used as a makeshift port. She allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, despite the fact that she was aware that they wouldn't be arriving anytime soon.

Annabeth looked away from the window, glancing around at her belongings that were placed throughout the room. To her left, beside the table and chair placed by the window, was her bed, a few nightstands. Directly across from her, built into the wall, was the door leading out. On the right side of the door, there was a sooty fireplace, where the charred pieces of wood from the evening before still laid. And, finally, a massive rug was put out in the middle of the room.

She looked at the decorations with contempt. Like everything in her life, it was controlled by her father. Even something as simple as a candlestick's orientation seemingly had to be approved by him. It didn't matter to him that it was her room. No, the only thing that mattered was that it was _his_ say.

Annabeth huffed, growing more and more flustered the longer she sat staring the the objects. Finally, she stood, taking a few more paces until she had reached the foot of her bed before flopping onto it. She turned, laying on her backside. Her eyes quickly grew heavy, and she was reminded how exhausted she felt. With the persistence of the heat, and the two arguments between her mother and father separately, she felt that she was leaden more than she was flesh and bones.

She yawned lightly, allowing her eyes to close. And before long, she drifted off to sleep, allowing her troubles to slip away from her mind, if only for a little while.

* * *

><p>It seemed like she had just closed her eyes when she felt a jolt on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open wildly, blinking rapidly,<p>

"Annabeth!" Her nurse's voice hissed, "Wake up!"

She rubbed her eyes, sitting up as she did, "Nurse..."

It was pitch black in her room for a moment. But that was quickly relieved by her caretaker as she lit a candle sitting on Annabeth's nightstand.

"Get up, girl!" She ordered, "The captain is sailing into the cove now!"

"_Now_?" Annabeth repeated, glancing out the window.

It might as well have been pitch black, because the sky was closer to that shade than blue. But in the little visibility that was left in the fading light of day, she could see a large, looming object coming into her father's cove. Inevitably, it was the captain's ship, with it's lights flickering on-deck and below. Her nurse pried her from the windowsill,

"Come now," She said, raising the dress, "We need to get this on you, and quickly."

Annabeth stripped down from her old dress, with the assistance from her nurse, until she was down to her undergarments. And again, with help, she was dressed up again, as she grunted with each swift adjustment from her nurse, whether it be on a corset or something else as uncomfortable.

"Good enough. Now, we must hurry."

Her nurse led her out the door, down the hallway, and down the stairs, just as she had in the morning, only twice the speed. Halfway down the stairs, her other chambermaids followed along, picking up pieces of cloth here and there to help move along the almost dangerous task of going down the stairs. When they were assured that she fared well going down the stairs, the stepped away, leaving just the nurse by her side,

"You'll stay with me during the party. Won't you?"

Her nurse nodded, "For as long as your father allows me to stay, I won't leave your side, my dear."

Annabeth sighed out of relief, nodding,

"Thank you."

Placing a hand on Annabeth's back, the nurse, led her through the remainder of the hallway, and to the doors leading to the dining hall. They were allowed entry by the guards, who had grown more decorated, presumably out of the sake of her father's appearance and reputation. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she walked past. As the doors opened, the sound of hundreds of voices belonging to her father's multitude of guests filled her ears in an overwhelming influx.

They were everywhere throughout the room. Eating, drinking, some had already invited themselves to dance nearby the musicians playing.

"Well," Her nurse said over the noise, "Your father has certainly outdone himself this time."

"Indeed he has," Annabeth muttered spitefully as she regarded the massive tapestries hanging on the wall. As they approached the table waiting at the top of a small set of wide stairs, her mother, who had been sitting by herself, stood in greeting.

"Annabeth!" She shouted slightly, struggling to keep a hold on her wine glass.

"Hello, mother."

Annabeth rounded the table as she took a seat on the left side of her mother. Her nurse took a few paces backwards, but still remained close to Annabeth nevertheless. She frowned slightly as she further regarded her mother, who was just sitting down.

"Mother, are you okay? You seem a little..."

"A little what, dear?" She questioned, downing the rest of her wine sloppily.

Just as Athena returned her glass to the table, the doors leading to the dining room swung open, almost dramatically, as her father appeared alongside another man. He was arm-in-arm with another woman. Annabeth leaned back, whispering to her nurse,

"How could a man like _that_ possibly get a wife?"

Her nurse leaned towards her ear, "I know for a fact that it's _impossible_ for a man like that to get a wife. Well, one that's not a complete and utter harlot, anyway."

Annabeth smirked as she leaned back to her seated position. People standing in the main aisle stepped aside as they walked on, followed by the captain's men, who were at least fifty or so in number. They stood before the table, and Annabeth yet again saw the same, gruesome man she saw every six months: Captain Roi.

"Captain," Her father said, regarding Athena, "You know my wife."

"Why, of course," He answered in a smooth voice, taking her mother's hand as he kissed it lightly. Annabeth bit her lip slightly as her mother let out a drunken giggle as he broke away from the kiss.

"Oh, _captain_," She slurred, "You're making me blush."

The captain's woman concealed a smile from him, as he roared with laughter,

"It seems as though she's already had enough for the night, Frederick!"

Her father laughed with an uncomfortable tone, "Yes, it seems as though she has."

As Captain Roi regarded the lady beside him, as they laughed together, Annabeth realized her father was glaring at her mother, just barely managing his temper that he had unleashed earlier.

"And," Her father piped, getting the attention of the captain again, "You know my daughter, Annabeth."

Like he had done with her mother, he took her hand in his own rough, questionably clean one.

"If there's one place in the world that I enjoy, Miss Chase, it's here, in Port Royal," He said, kissing her hand, "So many treasures to behold. But none compare to that of the sheer _privilege_ of being able to bestow my eyes upon your own beauty."

She was grateful that her face, unlike her mother's, didn't betray her by growing pink from the attempt of flattery. Annabeth cleared her throat,

"Thank you, Captain Roi. It's always a pleasure to have you visit us."

"Please," He replied, revealing a yellow grin, "The pleasure is mine completely."

He turned to face his men. Roi stuffed a few fingers in his mouth before blowing, making a sharp whistle sound. He pointed to an empty table that had been set aside for them on the far side of the room. They shuffled off quickly. When all of them were seated, her father scooped up a glass and spoon from the table, before banging the latter against the cup. The hall fell silent,

"I'd like to first thank you, my guests, for coming tonight. It is a great honor to have each and every one of you here. But most of all, I would like to thank the very person for which this celebration was arranged for: Captain Roi. For years now he has provided me, as well as my wife and daughter, the income to live a good, prosperous life. And for that, I owe him my life. So, please, if all of you would join me in showing him our greatest gratitude and thanks."

People throughout the hall clapped in a round of applause for the captain. He bowed slightly, and awkwardly before them as he lowered his tattered hat in thanks. When her father thought it was an adequate amount of clapping, and raised his hands up,

"Thank you. And I hope that all of you thoroughly enjoy your evening."

Clapping arose again, but this time, for Frederick as he escorted Captain Roi and the woman standing beside him. When everyone at the head table was seated, the music picked up where it had left off, and people went back to the party. Her father was seated to her left, followed by his business partner, then the captain's woman.

"Frederick," The captain beamed, "Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Rheia."

She outstretched her hand, as her father kissed the coffee-colored flesh.

"It is an honor," Her father said, kissing her hand a second time.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, partially suspicious of his actions. Of course, it was common courtesy to kiss a woman's hand. But one time was typically seen as more than adequate.

"I found her in a desolate slum, starved and on the edge of death," The captain began solemnly, his eyes drifting down, "It's so common a scenario, poor girls on the streets with no one to care for them. But I knew that I had to do something. So, I took her in."

Roi leaned towards Rheia, clasping his hands on her shoulders,

"And now," He said, "Look at us!"

Rheia was smiling, but in her father's direction. Annabeth frowned at this action.

Frederick chuckled over a glass of wine, "How long ago did you two marry?"

"Six months ago!"

The two of them burst into laughter, as her father struggled to keep his wine down.

"I have to say, Roi, you certainly keep yourself...Busy."

"Oh," The captain grinned, "Indeed I do."

Annabeth looked away in disgust. And as the night went on, the more and more she wanted to leave. But everytime she stood up to, her father, in the midst of his drunken celebrating, grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit,

"Sit down," He would say, "You're being rude."

She almost got away, as her father had a heated, but brief conversation with one of the guards,

"-Tried to get into the party..." He said to Frederick. At this, Captain Roi looked over, scratched a spot near his lip briefly, and looked away.

"Well, get them out of here!"

With that, the guard quickly rushed off, as her father downed another drink, simultaneously grabbing her arm as she tried to leave.

And with each glass of wine, he grew more and more slurred. The party-goers were in chaos. Drunk, dancing, or laughing maniacally, they stumbled over tables, vomiting occasionally. Captain Roi had long since stumbled away to join his men, as they were still fairly competent, despite they had all probably drunk twice the amount the other guests had. Her mother sat in her seat, hunched over as she laughed occasionally.

"So," Frederick leaned towards Rheia, "Does the captain make you happy?"

"Of course," She said, "He's a rich man, he gives me whatever I want."

"But Rheia," Her father insisted, "_I'm_ richer than him."

"Really?" Rheia purred.

She leaned towards him, as put her hand on his thigh and rubbed it. At this point, Annabeth rose from her seat, completely and utterly disgusted. Annabeth turned, where her nurse was still standing,

"Nurse," She fumed, "Help me get my mother to bed."

Hearing Annabeth's tempered tone, she nodded, "Right away, my Lady."

They took one arm each, and with her mother's fairly light frame, they were able to lead her out of the dining hall. As Annabeth looked back, she could see her father and the captain's wife creeping off through another door. Her eyes then drifted towards the table Captain Roi had been visiting. Annabeth's heart plummeted when she saw him staring in his wife and her father's direction. Then, he looked down at his feet, gripping what appeared to be a sword strapped to his belt as he did.

* * *

><p>As they carried Athena up the stairs, Annabeth managed to reveal what she had seen<p>

"The captain knows about my father and Rheia," She grunted under her mother's weight.

Her nurse shook her head, "Oh, dear. This will not fare well with your father's current relations with him."

Annabeth grinned, "It serves that bastard right."

"Annabeth!" She scolded, "If I wasn't carrying your mother right now, it would be in your best interests to make that mark on your face reappear!"

"Why?" Annabeth hissed, "He deserves whatever punishment he gets from the captain."

They reached the top of the stairs, and they continued for a few more paces until they reached her parents' bedroom. Carrying her the rest of the way, they finally set her on top of the bed, still fully clothed.

"I'm going back there," Annabeth huffed.

"No!" Her nurse pleaded, grabbing her arm, "You mustn't!"

"Nurse..." She struggled, "Let me go! Let me go..."

Annabeth shrunk to her knees, burying her face in her hands.

"I hate him," She sobbed, "I hate him!"

Her nurse sat beside her, rubbing her back to comfort her.

"You're right to hate him. But you can never lash out against him, or he will throw you out onto the streets without any hesitation. You would never survive out there, my dear. So for now, you must mind your manners, and learn to _obey_."

Annabeth paused in her crying, "Maybe I want to get thrown out onto the streets. There's more freedom out there than in here."

The nurse gasped, "Annabeth..."

"Please," Annabeth stood, "Spare me, nurse. And help me to my room. If I can't stop my father, the least I can do is escape his presence, if only for a few hours."

"Very well."

She returned to her room, and her nurse helped her remove her dress and slip into her nightgown in silence. The nurse pulled back the covers, and fluffed the pillows,

"I shall see you in the morning..." She paused in the doorway, "Sleep well, my dear."

"Sleep well, nurse," Annabeth whispered, too quiet for her to hear, before slipping into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That was a long chapter, I know, but for the most part, the later chapters will only be a third, or at the most, half the length this one was. But anyways, as I like to say when I first start a story, I try not to be greedy. And by greedy I mean asking for reviews, favorites and follows constantly. I'll only say that everything helps, and it makes my day to see when someone new has followed the story, reviewed, or favorited it. So, please, send me a review for this first chapter, I'm eager to know if you guys are enjoying the story.**

**Thank you so much!**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	2. II: The Blood Contract

**A/N: Happy Saturday! I'm absolutely blown away from how many of you enjoyed the first chapter! So, thank you guys. I ****hope you guys enjoy this chapter, too.****  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span><strong>II: The Blood Contract<strong>

Light poured into Annabeth's room slowly as morning approached. It crept across her bedspread, before reaching her face. She winced slowly as she wiped the heaviness of sleep from her eyes. Annabeth opened them before she looked around, frowning.

"Odd," She muttered, followed by a yawn.

She was always awoken by her nurse and chambermaids. But there were none to be found in her room. And that's when the memories of the events from the night before returned to her mind. Instantly, she began to worry. Annabeth sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose from the sudden influx of stress.

The captain knew what her father and his wife had done. It was obvious enough, and even someone as barbaric as him would be able to piece it together. So what was to happen to her father? What was to happen to her and her mother? Annabeth quickly jumped out of bed, not bothering to dress.

She jogged to the dining hall, barefoot, and wearing nothing but her night gown. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw people shuffling and stumbling out of the room where the party had been held the night before, most of whom appeared hungover or sickly. Annabeth darted past them, and entered the hall. Servants busied themselves throughout the room, cleaning up the disastrous mess left over. Annabeth looked towards the main table, where people were already sitting.

As she approached it cautiously, she saw her mother, who was gripping her forehead silently. Her father and the captain sat side-by-side, acting chummier than ever. Roi's wife, Rheia, however, was nowhere to be found. Annabeth took a seat beside her mother, while the two men were busy talking.

"Good morning," Annabeth greeted.

"Hmm," Her mother managed, still nursing her headache.

Her glass was promptly filled with coffee by a servant. But Annabeth felt too ill to drink it. Not just from the fear of repercussions, but at the sight of her cheat of a father, laughing away with Captain Roi. She held the hot vessel in her hands, wanting nothing more than to splash it across his conniving, smirking face. As she mulled over this unreachable possibility, someone entered the dining hall.

"My lord," A guard approached the table, directing his attention to Frederick, "There's something that requires your attention immediately."

After a moment, her father laughed,

"What is it?" His tone growing tempered, "Can't you see I'm in the middle of conversing with my guest!"

"No, no," Captain Roi intervened, "Don't let me stop you from anything pressing."

The guard stood still, looking at Frederick searchingly.

"Go on, then!" Her father barked.

Captain Roi looked on. Annabeth could've sworn what she saw on his face was an expression of amusement.

"My lord, there's been a burglary. They took everything in the store rooms, including the items you had arranged to barter with Captain Roi."

Her father froze in place, growing pale.

"What?" He stuttered, "No, no...How...How is that possible?"

"We believe it was two men. They attempted to enter the party following the burglary."

Frederick stood, his hands trembling as he looked down at the table. Annabeth looked at him, then the guard, then Roi. The captain took a slow drink from his coffee, a smirk obtruding from the rim of the cup. Eventually, her father waved the guard away.

"Frederick," The captain stood, patting him on the back, "Don't fret. I'm sure you have something else of that I might be interested in trading for."

"Didn't you hear him?"

Frederick put his hands into his face,

"They took everything..."

Annabeth's eyes darted about nervously. A few of Roi's men were standing nearby, looking on with contempt. Roi sighed, before patting him on the back once more.

"Well, then. I'm _truly_ sorry that I have to do this, Frederick."

Within the blink of an eye, Captain Roi had unsheathed a dagger, and put it to her father's throat as he let out a cry of surprise. The men jumped up, charging the table. One grabbed Annabeth, another grabbed her mother, also putting blades against their throats. Both of them screamed. The other few men opened the nearby door, the very same one her father and Rheia had slithered into the evening before. They were led into the room, which was stacked to the ceiling with various barrels and boxes of provisions and food.

When they rounded a corner, Annabeth gasped when she saw her nurse, who was being held by a tall, lean man.

"You let her go! She doesn't have anything to do with this!" Nurse demanded, "Please, don't hurt her!"

Her nurse's captor drew the knife he had digging into her throat closer,

"Keep your mouth shut, and I won't _have_ to hurt her," He hissed, narrowing his cold eyes.

Captain Roi led them into the clearing inside the room, raising his hand to the man.

"At ease, Perseus."

He approached her nurse, "You would do well to do as he says. I know you didn't have any part in this, so don't start now."

The men lined them up beside her, before turning them to face the captain. He paced back and forth, looking about as he casually whistled. Then, he opened his mouth to speak,

"We had a deal, Frederick," He began, his tone more impatient than anything, "Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you? Every other time we have done business, you've held up your end of the deal, given me what I wanted, and we went our separate ways. I did you the same service."

Roi glowered at her father,

"And for _what_?"

He marched towards him, and Annabeth winced as he continued on,

"And then you...Fucked my wife...Right under my nose, right in this room!"

Beside her, Annabeth could hear her mother draw in a breath from the shock of his words. Finally, her father spoke for the first time in minutes,

"Please, Roi...I can hold my end of the deal! I can get you what you want!"

"No," The captain denied, "For six months, I've plundered and pillaged for you, for _your_ wealth! And I'm not leaving until I get every gun, bullet and bottle of booze that we agreed on!"

"Of course!" Frederick answered, his voice nothing more than a squeak, "If you could just wait for a few more months-"

"Months?" Roi echoed, before roaring, "Why wait months for you when I could move onto other partners, who could get me what I wanted, _when_ I wanted, and consistently so? No...We're going to work this out, man-to-man. And alone. So please, show me to your office."

Frederick was pushed forward, towards the captain. He put the knife to his throat again, "The rest of you, come with me. And Jackson, you'll watch the women, won't you? Don't forget to bind them."

A few of the men chuckled, as they followed behind Captain Roi. They left the room, and as soon as her husband was out of sight, Athena began to cry hysterically. The man, Jackson, tied their hands together in tight, intricate knots.

"What are they going to do with him?" She sobbed as he tied her hands together.

He shrugged, "Thanks to your husband, the captain isn't in the best of moods."

"Oh, god," Athena blubbered, "Please, don't let anything happen to him."

When her mother's hands were tied, he moved onto Annabeth. With the last length of rope he had in his hands, he fiddled with it quietly, his face mere inches from hers. His green eyes focused intently on the knot work, while the scent of ocean water emanated strongly off of him from months of being at sea. Annabeth would almost consider him attractive, if she didn't know what he was, if she wasn't in the conundrum she was in due to her father's ignorance. When her hands were bound together, he rose, swiping the dirt off of his knees.

He returned to her nurse's side, as he whispered something to her. She leaned forward in an attempt to hear, but with no such luck. His expression was serious, and he talked slowly and meticulously, as if giving instructions. Annabeth saw her nurse nod occasionally, before Jackson concealed a small slip of paper in her bindings. He glanced away, before spotting Annabeth staring on out of suspicion of their conversation.

His face hardened, as he stood and leaned against a stack of barrels. Athena continued to cry.

"Why are you even worried about him?" Annabeth questioned under her breath, "He slept with the captain's wife. If you were in his shoes, he wouldn't even bat an eye."

Athena shook her head, "No, he would...Of _course_ he would. He's my husband."

She clenched her fists in her lap upon hearing her mother's words. Jackson, still resting against the barrels, picked under his fingernails with the tip of his blade as he looked on.

"What kind of husband can a man really be when he philanders with other women?"

Suddenly, Annabeth's mother went after her, which was somewhat difficult, considering her hands were bound. But she managed to latch onto Annabeth,

"_How_?" She screeched, "How can you say things about him? About your own father?"

"Because it's the truth!" Annabeth screamed back, "You're too blinded by your own wasted love for him to realize it!"

Jackson swooped in, breaking them apart. He pushed them away from each other,

"Enough!" He barked, "I don't want to hear another word from _any_ of you!"

As he finished his sentence, the door leading inside swung open. Roi had her father clenched by his hair as he led him inside. He kicked him in the back, sending him face-first into the dirt floor. Athena crawled towards him,

"Frederick?" She called, caressing his face, "Frederick, are you alright?"

He didn't reply, as he raised his head, revealing a bruised eye and bloodied nose. Frederick glanced over towards Roi. The captain leaned back slightly, hiking up his belt,

"Since he is unable to give me anything as a substitute for what was stolen last night, I have decided to be merciful, and take one only one object of value from the household."

Captain Roi's eyes drifted about the room, as he whistled an out-of-tune song. He landed on each person sitting before him, and as his eyes got closer to her, she looked down at her lap. Finally, his voice announced,

"I've made my decision."

She looked up, as he pulled the top from a bottle of alcohol, taking a long swig. Relief flooded through her, until he closed off the bottle again and said,

"Take her away."

Two of his men came towards her, and her heart sunk as they yanked her from the floor. She began to scream as she realized what was happening,

"Mother!" Annabeth reached a hand out to her mother, "Nurse!"

Athena's eyes welled up with more tears, "No! You can't take her away!"

Captain Roi took a swig, "Oh, but I can, my lady."

"Nurse!" Annabeth screamed again.

"Be strong, my dear!" She reached out, as if trying to pull her ward back to her.

As Annabeth was pulled out of the room, she caught a glimpse of her father, perhaps for the last time. He stared on, his eyes dry as he held Athena. His face was blank, void of any sentimental emotions. Annabeth kicked and struggled as she tried to break free from the grip of the men. But the attempt was futile, as they were strong, and wrestled her back to place with ease.

Annabeth lowered her head as she began to sob, unable to conceive what nightmarish things awaited her. Death, inevitable sickness, or worse, Captain Roi himself. He was a cold, cruel man, with no mercy inside of him whatsoever. After he had his way with her, Annabeth was sure that he would have no hesitations on killing her. Captain Roi followed behind, a smirk on his face as they made their way outside.

They approached the ship, and she was carried on board. Captain Roi regarded the base of one of the masts. She was set on the ground, before being tied to it. The rest of Roi's sailors appeared from below deck, or paused in their chores on deck. They flocked around, each and every one of them regarding her like a pack of wolves would with a lamb.

"Our..._Esteemed_ employer couldn't pay us," The captain began, followed by an uproar of laughter, "And so, I got to pick my own compensation. If I do say so myself, this girl is even better than anything that greedy bastard could have pulled from his ass!"

There was another round of laughter, and Captain Roi let it continue as he paced across the deck. When it died down, he continued,

"But, what are we to do with my _current_ wife?"

There was the sound of a door opening behind Annabeth, followed by a few pairs of footsteps, and near-silent crying. Jackson made a reappearance, leading his wife by her tethered hands. Her clothing was in tatters, and it was clear from the locations in which it was that one or more of his men had gotten to her. There were bruises here and there on her body, as she sobbed. Roi walked towards her,

"Poor girl," He muttered, tipping her chin up, "If only you had done what was asked of you."

"Please, Roi, my love," Rheia begged, "Please. I love you!"

The captain drew a pistol, putting it to her temple.

"But you loved Mister Chase just a little bit more, didn't you?"

He cocked the hammer back, and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang, almost in proportion to an explosion, followed by the sickening splatter of blood against the wooden deck of the ship. Rheia's body, upon being released by Jackson's grip, crumpled to the floor. There was a faint burning smell, but it was noxious enough to make Annabeth quietly gag.

"Throw her onto the shore," Captain Roi ordered, "If he wanted my wife so badly, he can keep her."

A pair of sailors who appeared a little more able-bodied than Jackson scooped up the body, heaving it overboard into the sand. When there was a thump, they walked away, swiping their hands.

"Now let's get this bitch out to sea! Come on, move it!"

The men rushed to their areas, raising sails, pulling ropes so complex that she didn't even see where they ended. Captain Roi regarded the puddle of blood,

"Get this messed cleaned up, Jackson!"

He moved away from sight, "Right away, sir."

The captain approached her, crouching down,

"I'm sure it seems awful, what happened to you," He muttered, running a coarse knuckle across her face, "But you'll come around, and then we can start your new life with me. How does that sound?"

Annabeth looked at him, and for the first time, she truly got a glimpse of what he really looked like. Cold, hard eyes framed by a scowling expression that were closer to black than even the darkest shade of grey. He had a tangled, but fairly short beard that went up into his long, even more tangled hair that took on a brown-grey color. She spat in his face, and it landed squarely on his forehead. The captain rose to his feet, glancing away as he wiped it from his face.

"Heh," He muttered, "I see you're not broken-"

Captain Roi kicked her in the chest. Annabeth tried to cry out, but was breathless from the force of the kick. As she gasped for air, Jackson, who was mopping the blood up from the deck, looked at her, then at the captain.

"You will soon learn, Miss Chase," The Captain wiped the rest of the saliva off, "That I am not a man to be crossed. I am a man to be _obeyed_. And if you continue acting out against me...Then you will die...Jackson!"

Jackson came forward, the bloodied cloth he was using to clean with dangling in his hand,

"Sir?"

"You're to keep an eye on her, rain or shine, until I see fit for her to stay with me. No food or water is to be given whatsoever. Understood?"

Jackson nodded a few times.

"Get the rest of that blood mopped up."

Captain Roi wandered off, shouting various orders to his men as he did. And before long, Annabeth could feel a cool breeze on her face as the ship began to move forward. She looked at her home as they sailed past. And for the first time, she wanted nothing more than to be standing in Port Royal.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, guys! I have a little challenge for you! Captain Roi may not have a place in the Percy Jackson universe, well, not at first glance, anyway. First, you have to translate his name, Roi, and once you get its' English form, it should be pretty obvious from there. Let me know who you think he is!**

**Thanks for reading!**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	3. III: The Art of Persistence

**A/N: Are any of you guys Korra fans? If so, did you watch the series finale? I've been so busy lately, so I got to treat myself to a bunch of episodes I had missed. And just my luck, they had posted the last episode. Needless to say I was an emotional wreck, still am. But, I think they created a perfect ending. It's been an amazing show. Anyways, enough rambling, enjoy the chapter!****  
><strong>

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><p><span><strong>III: The Art of Persistence<strong>

It was a long time before they were truly out to sea. In fact, it wasn't until nightfall, when it grew dark out, that Annabeth found it difficult to spot land. She had no idea whether they were going to stay in Jamaican waters, or if they were going somewhere completely different. In fact, she couldn't even begin to guess where the captain planned on traveling. But if there was one thing that she did know, it was that the slow heaving and bobbing of the ship as it traversed over choppy waves did not fare well on her stomach.

She was reminded of the last time she was on a ship, when they were traveling from London to Port Royal. It was an awful journey, one in which she grew very ill. Annabeth knew she barely made it out of the ordeal alive. Annabeth was afraid that wherever they were going, she would face the same problem. She winced as another round of waves caused the ship to move in a sickly fashion.

Jackson sat on a barrel nearby, leaning his back on the mast across from the one she was tied to. The lantern hanging above his head illuminated his face slightly, as he toyed with his knife out of clear boredom. While most of the other men had long since retired below deck, he was forced to keep watch. He would throw it into the air occasionally, before catching it mid-air at its sharp tip. Annabeth was legitimately surprised that he hadn't lost a finger at that point.

Sometimes, he would throw it to the floorboards, and it would bury itself in the splintered wood. Jackson would stand, pry it up, then resume his dangerous tricks. He would hum ever once in a while, paying no attention whatsoever to her. But he glanced over when he stomach finally failed her, and she heaved. He sighed, leaning over to his left side,

"Did you even think, or consider, to let me know you weren't feeling well?"

Jackson came across a bucket, kicking it over.

"Use that the next time you're sick," He ordered grudgingly.

Annabeth vomited into the bucket again, emptying the stomach of any lingering bile. He sat forward slightly, gripping the edge of the barrel,

"It's difficult the first few days at sea," He told her in a more gentle tone, "But...You'll get used to it."

She coughed, before bitterly answering, "What? Get used to the sea-sickness, or this hell-hole in general?"

"I meant the sea-sickness. As for the latter, however, I can't say."

"Exactly," Annabeth replied, "You were born into this..._Lifestyle_, I'm sure. You don't know any difference."

In the light from the lantern, he looked up, glaring at her.

"As a matter of fact," He answered after a while, his tone on an angered edge, "I do. I do know a difference. But I'm sure that your pampered lifestyle and luxury keeps you from seeing any difference."

At Annabeth's stunned, somewhat ashamed silence, he nodded.

"I thought so. Perhaps you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?"

If her arms hadn't been bound, she would've crossed them,

"Perhaps I shouldn't."

"Hmm," He grunted in response.

Jackson brandished an apple from the inside of his shirt. He began to peel it, tossing the skins onto the decking beside him. At the sight of the apple, Annabeth cringed slightly as she was reminded of her hunger. He saw her staring at the fruit,

"Not a chance, girl. The captain would have my head if I so much as gave you the stem."

"I know," She gritted her teeth, tearing her eyes away, "It must be a rarity to get things like apples, anyway, what with you being at sea most of the time."

Jackson nodded in agreement, as he continued peeling it.

At the sound of him eating the apple, she glanced away again. And after a few minutes, he paused. The sound of his feet coming over jarred her, and she opened her eyes. He put a slice of apple out in front of him,

"Open your mouth."

She did, as he carefully put the piece in. As she chewed it down, Jackson glanced around for any of the crew members. When she was finished with it, he crouched down in front of her,

"Listen to me. Captain Roi is trying to break you. And eventually, you'll have to comply to his wishes."

Annabeth scowled at him, "Says who?"

"Says me," He answered, looking around again, "If you keep this up, refusing him, your stubbornness will be the death of you. Either the lack of food and water will kill you, or he'll lose interest and kill you himself. And I won't keep risking my life to slip you my food."

"I can take care of myself," Annabeth replied.

"And for how long?"

She looked up at him, "Why do you even care? If you can't help me, leave me alone!"

A voice a ways back behind Annabeth yelled over, "Jackson! What's going on over there? I can't steer this ship with her screaming!"

Jackson leaned over, facing the voice, "Don't worry, I've got her under control!"

"Says you," Annabeth grumbled.

Percy glared at her, "Keep quiet!"

He stood, pacing a few times. Jackson was muttering to himself, talking a mile a minute just quiet enough that she couldn't understand him. Then, in the darkness, he slowly and hesitantly pointed at her before quietly saying,

"Just...Stay alive, alright? Don't mouth off to the captain, don't do anything."

"Stay alive?" She repeated, "How do you expect me to do that here?"

"Hold out for a few more days."

And that was all. He walked away, leaving Annabeth to question his words. She began to question his sanity, as many of the men aboard didn't seem to have the most clear minds. Jackson was cryptic, unclear in what he was saying. Was he planning something?

Then, a possibility came to her mind: He was planning something. Something big. Something that involved escaping.

* * *

><p>Thoughts and possibilities ran through Annabeth's mind at an overwhelming speed. But one large, almost outlandish one stood out the most: Jackson was planning an escape. There was no true, tangible evidence that this was in fact true, as he seemed to not mind the life on board Captain Roi's ship in the least bit. If anything, he seemingly enjoyed it. He had a characteristically casual way about him, like nothing fazed him.<p>

Perhaps that's why she didn't see any evidence that he was escaping. Jackson could conceal his emotions, and do it well. If there was any signs of mutiny aboard the ship, he would probably be the last one ruled out in suspicion of having any plans of escape. It was a somewhat admirable trait to Annabeth, but it was all the more unnerving. What had made him so stoney-faced and emotionless?

Across from her, Jackson yawned, startling her from her thoughts. He was perched on the barrel, leaning against the mast as he pulled the bandana from his neck and tucked it under his belt. He folded his arms, letting out another loud, almost obnoxious yawn. And after a few intervals of shifting about on top of his seat, he grew still. And in the last of the light remaining in the lantern above his head, his eyes closed.

She narrowed his eyes at him, in slight confusion as to whether or not he had actually managed to fall asleep. Despite the fact that it was more than likely early in the morning at that point, the men were still going strong in partying below deck. And she herself knew that she would never be able to sleep, not just from the noise, but from the uncomfortable position she was tied in. But Jackson had fallen asleep, seemingly as soon as he shut his eyes. She leaned her head against the wooden mast behind her, sighing as she yearned for that ability.

Her eyes drifted upwards, glancing past the canvas sails, tethered ropes, and various items hanging above. Finally, they reached the stars. Out at sea, away from the city, she could clearly see them, glittering in all of their beauty. But it didn't take long in her marveling for Annabeth to slowly grow sad at the sight of them. The same stars were above her old home, just as she herself looked up at them.

She felt her eyes well up with tears at the thought of her mother, her nurse, and partially her father. Surely he was grieving alongside them. But as much as she wanted to believe it, she doubted it more than anything. His face had been blank as a sheet when she was taken away, devoid of any sympathetic emotions. She felt bitter, hurt, more than she had ever felt before. The tears that had been brimming in the corners of her eyes finally broke, as they ran down her face.

She didn't bother to control them, and from a sudden influx of overwhelming emotion, a sob escaped from her. Annabeth didn't acknowledge it in the midst of her somewhat obscured vision, but she was almost certain that from his sleep, Jackson looked up at her. Annabeth bit her lip, so tightly that just another interval of pressure would've drawn blood. She kept her gaze fixated downwards, away from him as she tried with all of her ability to remain quiet. He only gazed at her for a moment longer, before his head slumped back down.

Annabeth sighed, and it came out as a trembling one. She sniffled a few times, clearing the small amount of built-up congestion. The remaining tears that lingered on her face rolled down, and she winced slightly from their harsh coldness. She leaned her head to the side, blinking heavily. Struggling slightly in the tether of her constraints, she mustered a somewhat comfortable position.

She had to, no, she _needed_ to sleep. Whatever Jackson was planning, she was involved in it now. Annabeth needed to keep up her strength if she didn't want to die before that plan was initiated, or worse, she was forced to give into Captain Roi. She had no idea whatsoever whether or not he would ever go through on his plans, or if she could even trust him. He was clearly...Peculiar, in the friendliest of terms.

Annabeth glanced over at his hunched, sleeping figure with reluctance. If he was escaping, and if she managed to escape with him, she knew that one thing was certain: She would leave him at the first opportunity she got.

* * *

><p>Annabeth was abruptly awoken by someone shaking her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, as she glanced around. Her chest seized from panic at first, at the sight of her still-foreign surroundings. But it didn't take long for her to remember why she was there, as she sighed. She gritted her teeth when she realized that Captain Roi was looming over her, revealing his foul grin,<p>

"Good morning," He said, holding a plate, "I brought this for you."

Roi crouched down, revealing the food. A slice of bread, meager, but still food.

She narrowed her eyes, "And what is the catch in me accepting this food, exactly?"

His rotten smile widened, "I believe you already know the answer to that."

Annabeth, as hungry as she was, looked in the opposite direction of the plate, rejecting it. She felt him move closer, as he whispered into her ear,

"You know," He whispered, "I'm quite familiar with this type of...Behavior. But you'll have to eat eventually, my dear. You'll understand soon enough."

The captain stood, taking a large bite into the apple. There were a few chomps, before he wandered off with his plate of food, towards Jackson. He shook him awake.

"Remember, Jackson," He ordered, "No food or water for the girl!"

Jackson nodded quickly, "Yes, sir."

"And no sleeping on the job either..."

Captain Roi walked away and out of sight. She sighed, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Jackson, a few feet away, leaned forward as he rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his eyes. He stretched slowly, clearly unfazed from sleeping in such an uncomfortable all night as he looked around at the workers.

Then, his eyes landed on her from underneath his gentle eyelashes, that were bleached in a way from the burning sun in the sky. He nodded once to her in greeting, fastening his bandana around his neck,

"Morning," He muttered.

She nodded in return, "Good morning."

Jackson leaned back again, clearly settling into a comfortable position again. He didn't fall back asleep, but seemingly braced himself for a day of boredom. A pang of guilt struck her, knowing that he had been tasked to watch her at every waking moment of the day. Certainly he would rather be working, or at least be doing something to keep himself occupied through the day. She swallowed the knot in her throat, contemplating an apology of sorts,

"I suppose I should apologize to you," Annabeth began, "I'm sure you would much rather be doing something else besides watching me."

Jackson shrugged, obviously uninterested in having a conversation at this point. She held back sighing in frustration, as her former lifestyle lingered in her mind slightly. After having been drilled manners constantly to her by her nurse, his behavior towards her irritated her slightly. She had been told that it wasn't polite to ignore someone initiating conversation. And Jackson was doing just that.

"You know, this job of yours might be easier if you at least tried talking to me."

He rolled his eyes, "For Christ's sake, girl, it's still morning!"

"What?" She demanded, "And that's some excuse to ignore me?"

"Yes, it is!"

"How then? Will you tell me that much?" Annabeth questioned.

Jackson rose from the barrel, his patience clearly thinning, "Well, Ms. Chase, those of us who didn't grow up in pampered lifestyles don't tend to force themselves to talk to one another at the crack of dawn."

She clenched her hands into fists, "So what, you just go about your morning without at least greeting one another?"

"Oh," Jackson replied, mock-sympathetically, "I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings? Was my greeting earlier not _adequate_ enough for your taste?"

He stiffened his back, contorting his body into and extremely proper fashion as he strutted around the deck. She quickly realized he was mocking women, probably her specifically, and how their dresses caused them to walk in such and awkward way. A few of the crew members noticed this, laughing and chuckling amongst themselves at Jackson.

"When I get out of these ropes, I'm going to strangle you with that foul rag around your neck."

Jackson scoffed, clearly unconvinced, "Fine. Let's see you try, then."

She gritted her teeth, and diplomatically backed out of the argument without another word towards him. His attitude towards her changed frequently, at the flip of a coin almost. Annabeth wondered if it was due to the fact that he was tired, or because he simply disliked her. But even still, he clearly had a distaste for her for whatever reason. And as much as she wanted to give it right back to him, she held her tongue.

As sick and tired as she was, being unable to speak her mind, she knew it would pay off in the end in this case. She wanted to call him a barbarian, a brute, a psychopathic pirate, even, any term but man. But, if he was escaping, that would be the very reason to not bring her with him. And then she would be trapped on that ship with Captain Roi forever, forever being however long she fulfilled his "needs." Or forever being however long he allowed her to live.

She would, in the lightest of terms, be losing an ally if Jackson left without her. Annabeth, in any scenario that she remained aboard the ship, would die. And whether she died from sickness, hunger, thirst, or the captain made no difference. As much as she hated to admit it, he was her only way out of there, her only chance of returning to her old life. But for how long?

Annabeth knew very well in her mind that she reciprocated the dislike Jackson had against her. He was the key to freedom, yes, but certainly she wouldn't need his help forever. But would he let her go on her own? Probably not if she asked. She knew there would be other means.

Not killing him, she would never go to that extent. It would be too difficult to run, not without some assurance that he wouldn't be able to give chase. Not until she had made some distance between her and Jackson, anyway. She could hit him in the head, just hard enough to knock him unconscious. Yes, she could hit him, perhaps with the butt of a pistol or a decently-sized stone.

Annabeth eyed Jackson out of paranoia, as if he could read her thoughts somehow, discover her plan. He was too busy glancing about, and she noted his eyes had a habit of landing on the spare row-boat that was tied to the side of the ship. She sighed, leaning her head back, as she settled in for another day filled with boredom in the sweltering heat.

* * *

><p>It seemed like years had gone by before the sun slipped downwards, into the horizon. Annabeth was miserable by then, her lips cracked and dry from lack of water. Her stomach was in knots, both from lack of food and the uneven movements of the ship over the water. The men had gone below deck hours ago to begin in their long night of drinking, leaving Jackson, Annabeth, and the helmsman. When the last of the men shuffled off, Jackson stood, and walked over to her.<p>

He brandished a small jug,

"Drink this," Jackson ordered under his breath.

She tipped her head back slightly, inclining it to drink. He poured the liquid into her mouth and she sighed when she realized it was water. Annabeth quickly tried to down more, but he pulled it away and capped it before she could,

"We need to save the rest," He said, before announcing, "We're leaving...Tonight."

"Leaving?" Annabeth repeated, confirming his suspicions.

"That's what I just said, didn't I?" He hissed, followed by a small huff, "I don't know if there will be another opportunity as good as tonight, and I don't want to take any chances. But, there's one thing I need you to do."

"What?" She asked, willing to do anything if it meant leaving.

"I need you to go with Captain Roi into his chambers."

Her heart plummeted, "What? I thought escaping meant that I wouldn't have to do that!"

"Don't worry," Jackson reassured, "I just need you to stall him for a few minutes to get the boat ready."

He regarded the small row-boat again,

"And...I need to knock out the helmsman. Once I do that, I'll get you-I promise."

Annabeth stared at him in silence, afraid that he wouldn't make it in time before Captain Roi...Did something to her.

"I promise," He repeated, more insistently, "You need to trust me if you want to make it to shore alive. Understand?"

She nodded hesitantly.

Jackson rose, "I'll get the captain."

When he left, Annabeth released a trembling sigh, and she felt as if she were on the verge of panicking. She barely knew Jackson, could she really trust him?

Behind her, there were footsteps again, but this time, more than just one pair. In the light of the lantern above her head, she could see the illuminated face of the captain as a sickening grin stretched ear-to-ear on his face,

"Jackson here told me that you're ready to-" He faltered, forming the words, "Cooperate. Is that right?"

She nodded quickly, "Yes, I am."

"Good," Roi's smile grew even bigger, "Get her untied, Jackson."

He obliged, crouching down as he sawed through the ropes quickly. They came undone, falling to the deck as Annabeth quickly nursed the areas of her arm that had been irritated by the rope. Jackson grabbed one of her arms, pulling her up before moving his hand gently to her back. He led her along behind Captain Roi, steadying her as she regained movement in her legs. They walked towards a door that was under another, higher-up deck where the helmsman stood at the wheel.

Lit-up windows stood to either side of the door, as the captain pushed it open. He motioned a hand towards the inside, ushering them in. Jackson led her to a chair, and when Captain Roi was making himself a drink, he nodded to her in reassurance before slipping through the door and shutting it behind him.

"So," The captain said, "Where shall we begin?"

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><p><strong>AN: Back to the Korra topic, I may just slightly consider writing a fanfic for the show. I'm not sure, I've never written any Fanfiction outside of the PJO world. You never know, though.**

**Thanks for reading!**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	4. IV: The Fog Flight

**A/N: Surprise! Here's an extra chapter for you guys for the holidays! I just want to thank all of you for all of the continued support throughout my stories. Each year spent on this website has been even better than the last, and that's all thanks to you guys. Here's to a new year, and even more stories for the best readers on Fanfiction!****  
><strong>

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><p><span><strong>IV: The Fog Flight<strong>

Annabeth looked throughout the captain's room as she tried to remain cool-headed. The last thing she needed to do was jeopardize Jackson, then it would be both of their heads. His quarters were plain, other than a few clearly valuable objects that stood out as gifts or otherwise stolen trophies that he had taken for himself. The captain sat behind his desk, slowly downing his drink. He glanced at Annabeth occasionally, a hungry glint in his eyes.

It made her skin crawl.

She wanted to plunge a knife through his head. Kill him for taking her away from her home, destroying any hope of leading any type of regular life. She gritted her teeth at the thought, glancing over to the captain. He was still staring intently at her, as if he was entertained by her mere presence. Annabeth, as much as she wanted it to stop, knew that it wouldn't. So, in order to fight back the urge to kill him, she swallowed her pride. She needed to distract him, so that Jackson could carry out the escape without any interruptions.

"What is it?" Annabeth piped in the most innocent voice she could muster.

He shook his head slightly as she asked this, as if he had been shaken from his daze of ogling over her in his state of perversion.

"Oh, nothing," He answered, leaning back in his chair, "Something was just...perturbing to me."

She batted her eyelashes a few times, forcing a puzzled expression. Even still, she was curious to hear what the captain had to say. A grin slowly sprouted on his face,

"I just suppose I expected you to have more resilience, is all. Just yesterday you were spitting in my face, and now..."

Annabeth didn't think his sickening smirk could have grown any larger.

"Here you are. Normally my girls last at least a few days before they give in."

"So it's a problem that I'm here?"

He shook his head, "Oh, no. Not at all."

She continued the act, despite the fact that her patience was already thinning. But she leaned back in her chair, glancing up at the ceiling as she continued to flutter her eyelashes,

"I suppose I just saw the reasoning in your offer sooner than those other girls."

"Hmm," Captain Roi grunted, taking another sip of his drink.

As he looked into his glass, she glanced over. Worry occupied her mind. He was obviously suspicious of her, or at the very least, uninterested. Annabeth knew she needed to try something else, something that would prolong his attention. After some hesitancy, she rose from her seat, setting one knee on the edge of his desk.

"I suppose I want to say that I'm sorry," She leaned forward slightly, holding onto the table as she crawled on top of it, "It was unfair of me to treat you the way I did yesterday."

As he redirected his attention again, she snatched up the soiled front of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"I know now that you're only trying to take care of my well-being."

He nodded, bringing his hand up as he ran it through her hair. The action made her want to lop his filthy hand off,

"Yes," He rasped, tucking her hair over her ear, "Yes. You weren't free back in that awful place, living with your father. You were his prisoner, a caged animal. I realized that the moment I first saw you. But it was only now that I could save you."

Captain Roi stroked a finger across her cheek.

"That's why I looted his store-room, made him think someone else had, so that I could take you with me."

His words brought her blood to a simmer.

"You _bastard_. What did you just say?" She demanded under her voice, furious.

Her grip on his shirt tightened, as he boomed with laughter.

"I knew it," He howled, "That, all of it, was an act!"

Annabeth gasped slightly, as she realized she had ruined her distraction tactic. But her shock quickly wore off, as she narrowed her eyes at the crowing captain. She clenched a fist, before smashing it into his cheek. He fell backwards, toppling onto the floor in his seat. In her rage, she lunged on top of him, ignoring the pain building in her hand. She tried to attack him once more.

Roi snatched her hand, before back-handing her with his empty one. She fell backwards onto the floor, as he rose. He breathed loudly, pressing a hand on the reddening spot on his cheek.

"You-" He growled, "_Bitch_!"

He snatched something up from the table, before aiming it just mere inches from her head: His pistol.

"Jackson!" Roi bellowed, "Jackson, get in here!"

There was a small interval of time, and he didn't appear. Annabeth gripped the rug underneath her. Where was Jackson? She instantly imagined the worst case scenario-He had already left, leaving her to face her inevitable death.

"Jackson! If you aren't in this room in the next ten seconds-"

But the door swung open, and she nearly cried out when Jackson appeared. He looked shaken up somewhat, his shirt was disheveled, his hair in every which way, as sweat dripped from his face.

"Sir?"

"Get her tied up again! I would deal with her now, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't want to have her brains on the carpet. Now-"

"Captain!" A voice cried from outside.

Jackson's face drained of any color, as they all looked in the direction of the door. There were uneven footsteps coming in the direction of Roi's quarters. Someone stumbled towards the door, holding his bloodied head,

"Sir," He managed, leaning against the door-frame, "Jackson, he-"

There was a sharp bang that hammered in Annabeth's ears. Smoke curled from the gun that had seemingly appeared in Jackson's hand. The crew member that had been standing in the door crumpled to the ground. Captain Roi stared at Jackson, his eyes wide as he stepped away from him by a few paces,

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Jackson charged the captain, before smashing the butt of his pistol into the side of his head. Roi, as he stumbled back, was kicked swiftly into the wall. He glared at Annabeth, breathing heavily,

"Get up."

When she remained still, he ran towards her, pulling her from the ground,

"I said get up!"

Jackson latched onto her arm, practically dragging her out of the room. She looked back, and saw that Captain Roi was already struggling to his feet as he gripped his head. And as they walked through the doorway, and over the man laying in it, she heard a weak groan escape him. He led her across the deck,

"Pick up your feet, damn it!"

As he gripped her arm, he brandished his unloaded pistol. Jackson quickly whirled around at the sound of stampeding feet, still holding her in his clutches. His forearm was stretched across her chest area at that point, with his hand grasping her shoulder. The entire crew had encircled them, muskets, pistols, and swords trained on both of them. There were extra clicking noises here and there, as the men primed their weapons. Some of them stepped away, as Captain Roi made his way to the front. He touched the heel of his hand on the wound Perseus had given him,

"Well, Jackson. You were certainly the last person I would ever expect to commit mutiny."

His tone was a humorous one, sarcastic, even. So, perhaps he was suspicious of everyone on board. Or maybe Jackson had attempted to escape before. A multitude of thoughts ran through her head, but she trained her focus back on the task at hand.

Annabeth winced as she felt something cold press against her temple. Captain Roi stared on, as the sea of guns steadied their aims.

"I'm leaving," He announced, his voice calm, "And if any of you try to stop me, I'll put a bullet through her head."

The crew waited for their orders to fire, but none came as the captain remained silent. Only the three of them knew that Jackson didn't have a bullet in that gun, but Roi said nothing, and instead looked on with an amused expression.

"So," He finally spoke, "You want to leave, eh? Very well."

His men faltered slightly, looking at the captain. His expression darkened,

"But as soon as you're off this ship, I will hunt you down. Your life belongs to me, your life is to be spent serving me. You're at my disposal! And once I find you, along with the girl, I will kill you both! But before I do, I will make you wish you hadn't run. So by all means, run. Because I will find you, I'll do anything-_anything_, to make you suffer!"

The gun dug deeper as Percy said one final statement of defiance against the captain,

"Mark my words, Roi, if you think I'll go down without a fight, you're mistaken."

Annabeth felt herself pushed harshly by Jackson, as she fell overboard. She plummeted towards the water, and she took in a sharp breath of air just as she hit the water. She clenched her eyes shut, flailing her arms through the water. Seconds later, there was a splash above her, before she felt herself being pulled upwards through the warm water.

Annabeth's head raised above the water as she gasped for breath. She was inches away from the row-boat, and she held on for dear life before she could submerge again. Jackson appeared alongside her, grabbing her collar as he hoisted her up. Annabeth scrambled into the boat. He followed closely behind, shielding his head as a symphony of gun-shots exploded above them. Jackson took up the oars, as he started to paddle as fast as he could.

"Keep your head down!" He shouted over another round of shots, "They aren't sharpshooters, and the guns may not be the most accurate, but there is such thing as a lucky shot!"

Jackson continued to row, paddling them away from the looming ship. Annabeth, looked towards it, as the moon gave off a bright back-drop. But as they got farther and farther away, the ship slowly grew obscured as fog collected around them and camouflaged it. Finally, it had vanished from their sight. She released a sigh of breath,

"I wouldn't ease up that quickly," He muttered, followed by a grunt as he pushed the oars again, "They can't chase us yet, there's too much fog. And even when it does clear, Captain Roi will wait. Wait until enough time has passed for us to make it to the shore. And then, he'll hunt us like dogs, just like he said."

Annabeth looked over at him, "That's preposterous. Why not just go after us now, crush us under the weight of his own ship?"

"Because he's a sick bastard," Jackson answered simply.

She looked in the direction of where she had last seen the vessel, slightly paranoid. Annabeth looked over at Jackson's silhouette, as he occupied himself in steering the small boat. They cut through the calm water with ease, gliding through it.

"So," Annabeth muttered, squinting into the darkness, "Why did you want to leave, anyway?"

He didn't reply.

She huffed, "Look, considering we're going to be in this boat together for at least the rest of the night, the least you could do is-"

"We're here."

As he said this, the small boat's jaunty movements ceased. It remained moving, but it was a lot more smoother as a simultaneous gritty grinding noise sounded beneath the boat. She felt Jackson climb out as he wandered in the darkness.

"Wait a minute!" She called, following after him.

Annabeth followed closely behind him, practically tripping over her feet as they trekked through the sand. She could hear waves crashing against the rocks lining the shore, and against the eroded walls that made up caves. Finally, Jackson lit a lantern, holding it above his head. He led the way, tossing a small bag onto his shoulder. Jackson was leading them away from the shore,

"We'll stay at the edge of the jungle for a few hours, get some rest. Then we'll move on."

"_We_?" She echoed, "What makes you think I'm staying with you?"

"Nothing at all."

Annabeth scowled at him, walking faster to make his pace, "Exactly. And that's why by morning, I'll be gone, and I'll be returning home."

The faint trace of a grin appeared on his face, but he didn't add any reasoning as to why one did grow. Annabeth bit her lip, her scowl growing in intensity. Jackson noticed this, and promptly rolled his eyes.

"God, girl, is that the only expression you know?"

"Stop calling me girl!" She demanded, "I have a name, you know."

"I'm aware of that," He lifted up the lantern, scanning the approaching jungle, "But I don't want to become any more acquainted with you than I already have."

"Like I said, then, I'll be on my way tomorrow."

Jackson shook his head, "I'm afraid that isn't an option."

"Oh? And you're going to stop me from leaving?"

"Yes," He answered, reaching the borders of the jungle.

Annabeth, however, had stopped in her tracks, processing his words in partial shock. She blinked a few times, jarring herself as she scoffed,

"And why, exactly, won't you let me leave? If you dislike me so much, why not just let me go?"

Jackson sat, resting his back against a rock with leisure. He folded his arms across his lap as he shut his eyes.

"Well, for one, you have no idea whatsoever how to find your way back home. Secondly, there's the near-inevitable chance that if you try to return home, which you won't, that the captain will find you. When that happens, he will do horrible, unspeakable things to you in order to find out where I am. And considering you are a frail girl, I'm sure he would discover me easily with your knowledge."

"Well," She growled in response to his last comment, "I may be a frail girl, according to you, but that doesn't mean I can't out-run you."

"Please," Jackson mumbled, "Spare me the lack of breath."

Annabeth looked out across the shore, the stretch of flat land beckoning her. And as much as she wanted to run away, run home, she knew she couldn't. Much to her dismay, Jackson was right. After a moment of staring longingly at the beach, she edged the jungle, sitting across from Jackson with her back against a tree. And with her new-found freedom, it felt ten times better than sleeping against a mast.

* * *

><p>She woke to Jackson's voice,<p>

"Wake up!" He hissed.

Annabeth blinked the sleep out of her eyes, trying to ignore the sweat on her forehead from the muggy jungle air. She looked at him, as he jabbed a finger towards the ocean. She squinted towards it, as the glittering lights of a looming ship reflected onto the water. The sky was a dim color, but Annabeth knew that day was approaching.

"Is that-" She whispered.

Jackson nodded, rising quickly. He scooped up his bag, throwing it onto his shoulder. Annabeth spotted his pistol nearby, laying on the ground. And while he had his back turned, she scooped it up, hiding it behind her back. He snatched up the lantern, blowing its life out,

"We can suffice traveling without this for now."

She nodded silently.

"Now let's get out of here. Captain Roi won't waste anytime getting onto shore, and we don't want to be here when he lands."

He jogged along, glancing in the direction of the ominous ship. Annabeth stayed close, trying to keep a brisk pace. She kept the gun beside her leg, keeping it from sight in case Jackson realized he had left it behind-Or thought he had, anyway. Annabeth wasn't certain why she had picked it up. After all, as Jackson had told her, she had no hope of getting home, implying the only way to do so was with his help.

Then again, he had never exactly specified how she was supposed to get home otherwise. What if he wasn't going to bring her home? Was he planning on double-crossing her along the way? Selling or trading her? After all, he was a pirate, a slimy thief. Did someone like that ever transition from that lifestyle?

She stared at the back of Jackson's head, listening to his faint panting. Annabeth gripped the gun aggressively. After all that had happened, after all that she had been through in the matter of a few days, she knew she was a long way from trusting anyone. Jackson faltered slightly, shaking his head,

"Wait a minute," He rasped, "We have to go back!"

"Why?" Annabeth demanded, acting as though she were clueless.

"I left my gun behind. Damn it, that's the only one I brought with me! Bastard, it was right there, too, right by my..."

Jackson stopped completely.

"Wait a minute," He muttered, but before he could fully turn, she battered him against the back of his head with the pistol.

Jackson fell to the ground, groaning when his face hit the sand. Annabeth took a few paces away from him, dropping the gun. She looked at his fallen body.

Suddenly, he lifted his face out of the sand, spitting.

"You better start running now, girl. You might find that Captain Roi has more mercy at this point than I do."

She broke into full sprint, glancing back at him when she had put a few yards behind her. Jackson was already rising, stumbling around a few times. Annabeth ran faster, before leaping into the thick canopy of the jungle, and disappearing inside it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again, happy holidays, everyone! I'll see you guys Saturday!**

**Until then,**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	5. V: The Hunters

**A/N: Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm so sorry that I didn't update on Saturday! It just completely slipped my mind, is all. Anyways, sorry for the delay! I hope you guys enjoy!  
><span>**

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><p><strong><span>V: The Hunters<span>**

Annabeth kept at a steady pace, speeding up occasionally when she needed to. The sun had long since risen, its beams penetrating through openings and gaps in the thick jungle canopy hanging above. She could hear Jackson following behind diligently, still a fair distance away,

"Get back here!" He screamed, "You can't outrun me forever!"

She didn't dare look back, out of fear that he might be closer than she was aware of. Annabeth tried to keep her breathing calmed, so she didn't run out of breath. She hopped over a fallen log, but as she picked back up in her running, she was abruptly tugged by her foot. She yelped as she was hoisted into the air. Her foot was snagged upwards, as she was dangled into the air. Annabeth struggled to look up at her foot, but when she finally did, she found it in the tight constraints of a rope.

Annabeth grunted, reaching up in an attempt to untie it. But with every movement, the rope swung, swaying her through the air nauseously. She huffed, before returning to her inverted position. Annabeth tucked the cloth of her dress between her legs, so that it wouldn't fall down and reveal her undergarments. Annabeth scowled as she did this and saw an upside-down version of Jackson running towards her, slowing down as he got closer. A breathy laugh escaped him.

"Shut up."

He howled with laughter, gripping his knees as he bent forward.

"What could_ possibly_ be so hilarious?"

"Well, what do you think?" Jackson managed.

Annabeth tried to reach for the knot again, "When I get down, I'm going to-"

He folded his arms, "Do what? You already tried knocking me unconscious, and you clearly were hitting as hard as you could to assure that you got away. I think I can handle anything else that you might throw at me, girl."

"Stop calling me that!" She protested, before adding in a calmer voice, "Look, I'm sorry that I hit you."

"Tried to, anyway." He muttered, sitting down on the log.

Annabeth continued, "And I'm sorry that I tried to run. Now you've had your time to gloat, can you just let me down?"

Jackson looked up, "Unfortunately for you, I'm still finding too much humor in the situation, and I don't see why I should."

"Well, I'm certain that Captain Roi has initiated his hunt against us, so if you want a good head-start, I think it would be in our best interests for you to cut me down."

He laughed one more time, standing, "Fine, fine."

Jackson walked towards the tree she was tethered to, brandishing a knife. She watched him as he jumped up, grasping for a vine growing on the trunk. He grunted, climbing up with ease. Occasionally, he would dig the knife into the bark, giving himself something to hold onto. Jackson was halfway up when he glanced around the body of the tree, cursing to himself,

"What?" She questioned, "What is it?"

"Someone's coming," He whispered up to her, as he began to climb back down.

Annabeth looked around desperately, but she was turning at such a sickening pace that she had to stop.

"Where are you going?"

"To hide."

She panicked, "What? You can't just leave me here!"

"Well that's just what is going to have to happen!"

He jumped down from the remaining height he had left, landing with a light thud. Jackson glanced up at her,

"Oh, don't look so concerned. I'll cut you down once they're out of sight. Agreed?"

Annabeth, after a moment, nodded hesitantly, "Agreed."

"Good," He returned his knife back to its sheath, "I'm going to hide, but I'll stay close."

He tramped through the underbrush, before concealing himself between a clump of leafy bushes. She continued to look around them, searching for the aforementioned persons. Finally, she spotted them, a small group of five or so people, ten at the most. They were coming from the direction that Annabeth had been running towards. There was a shout, before they began to pick up their pace.

Annabeth drew in a sharp breath, knowing they had spotted her. And as they came closer, she examined their faces as closely as possible, fearful that they were some of Captain Roi's men. But as they stared up at her, she didn't recall seeing a single one aboard in the previous days.

"Look what we have here," One of them cooed.

"She ain't a boar," Another commented.

"Still, we could fetch a fair price for her. Cut her down!"

She breathed faster, as one of the men started to climb up. While Jackson had been a decent climber, the man currently climbing up to fetch her was clearly proficient. Within a minute or so, he had climbed up and had shimmied across the branch she was hanging from. He started to saw through the rope, and unraveling it here and there.

Annabeth slowly grew closer and closer to the ground, closer and closer to the men reaching out with their hands. Finally, she fell into their arms, as they hoisted her away, kicking and screaming. She looked around, searching for Jackson. But he was nowhere to be seen.

Fearing once more that he had left her behind to fend for herself, she let out another bout of resistance against her new captors. But with clear strength in numbers, they held off her attacks. She prayed that her previous thought wasn't the case, and that he was simply biding his time. If she wanted to get out of the ordeal alive, she knew she would at least have to have some miniscule amount of faith in Jackson. She looked around one last time for any sign of him, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw a bush rustling.

The men stopped, whirling around. A few pulled the muskets from their shoulders, drawing them. They stood by for a moment, listening intently. Finally, the obvious ringleader of the group lowered his,

"There's nothing there. Now come on, move!"

* * *

><p>By the time they stopped, Annabeth could barely move. Her feet felt as though they were made of lead, or that they were chunks of concrete. Her new captors were persistent, and they had walked through the jungle the entire day. She was sure that in reality, they hadn't traveled particularly far. After having to plan a new route a handful of times, it had delayed them immensely.<p>

But by nightfall, they had arrived at a small campsite, where a pair of men stood guard. She felt their eyes stare down at her, and she felt the seemingly routine boiling of her blood. They bound her hands together, placing her against a tree.

"Get a fire going," The leader commanded, "We don't want anything attacking us, do we?"

As if on queue, there was a guttural noise in the distance. Annabeth clenched her hands together, looking around out of paranoia. Once a fire had been ignited, the men huddled around it, picking at their rations as they talked amongst themselves. While she naturally had an automatic distaste for them, what with them taking her captive and all, she was slightly relieved that they didn't mind her much attention. They didn't stare at her half as much as Captain Roi's men had.

Still, she was well aware that she owed them nothing whatsoever. She was being held against her will, with the intentions of being sold to someone. Someone like Captain Roi, perhaps Captain Roi himself if he found her. Or, if it was humanly possible, someone even more malicious than him. At the very thought of her and Jackson's pursuer, a shiver crept down her spine.

He had sworn that he would hunt them down. And what would follow would be even worse than death. And looking at the hunters, she knew that they were inadvertently benefiting him and his efforts to kill her. She knew Jackson would help her escape yet again, but how long would that take? Or would it even happen at all?

Annabeth struggled against the bindings wrapped around her hands, despite the fact she knew it was a futile effort. As she continued in her attempts to wriggle through them, she froze when there was a strange thunk a few feet away. The men heard it, too, as their conversation ceased completely. Their heads all turned to one particular tree, and she followed their gaze. An arrow was lodged in it, and something was attached to it: A piece of paper.

One of the men crouched, crawling cautiously towards it. He yanked it from the bark, taking the parchment from it. The hunter narrowed his eyes at the words,

"Well?" The leader said, "Read it!"

"You know I can't read!" He replied in exasperation.

As they tried to recruit one another to read the note, with each one stating their inability to read, Annabeth finally yelled,

"Let_ me_ read it!"

They all glanced over simultaneously, the hunter holding the note looking back at the leader with uncertainty. The huntsman nodded,

"Give it to the girl."

He crawled over, staying low in case any more arrows came in their direction as he put the note in her hands. She narrowed her eyes at the words, before reading the note:

_Dear sirs, _

_We are aware that you are in possession of a young woman. While we do not know with certainty what your plans are for her, we can only assume the worst. So, we therefore insist that you let her go free. If you comply, we can guarantee that no harm will come to you. Otherwise, we cannot make any promises. _

_Sincerely, _

_The Huntress_

As Annabeth stated the name of the writer of the note, there was a sudden uproar between the men. The leader, after some time had gone by, hushed them,

"Enough!" He ordered, snatching the note from her, "I will not have a _woman_ try and terrorize me! Now all of you, to arms! We'll scour the whole jungle if it means finding her."

They scooped up their muskets and pouches. He lit a torch,

"Stay close," He ordered, "If you stray to far, you'll get an arrow in your head, understand?"

The other hunters nodded vigorously, before the leader drew his pistol,

"I'll lead the way."

Slowly, and carefully, they stepped out from the small clearing their camp and fire was in, and into the jungle. Their footsteps grew more and more difficult to hear, and as they were almost nonexistent, chaos ensued. There was a blood-curdled scream, followed by a flurry of gun shots from the hunters. More screaming came from the men. There was a rustling close to her, and she yelped when Jackson appeared beside her.

There was a sheen of sweat on his face, as his eyes darted wildly. He drew his knife, sawing at an overwhelming pace through her restraints.

"Jackson," She whispered, "Are you alright? You look..."

Annabeth faltered when the pressure the bindings had put around her hands released, and they were freed. He helped her up quickly, not bothering to shout orders at her. Jackson rushed over to the pile of supplies the hunters had, rummaging through. He had only been searching for a few seconds when the sounds of the fighting going on stopped. Jackson drew in a loud breath,

"Come on!" He whispered, "We need to get out of here!"

As he said this, Annabeth's words were cut of suddenly as a pair of gloved hands from behind grasped her mouth. She let out a muffled scream of warning to Jackson. He looked over at her, as a anxious look appeared on his face. Jackson froze when the barrel of a gun was put against the side of his head. At the other end of the gun, a tall, lanky woman wearing worn leather boots, breeches, along with an olive green vest over a white button-up. A felt hat topped her head, and a feather was tucked into one side of it.

A handful of women also appeared, running towards the campsite. He froze, dropping the supplies he had collected. Slowly, he rose to a standing position. A smug grin grew on his face,

"Well, if it isn't the huntress herself," He greeted in his usual cool, calm, and collected tone of voice, "I didn't think I would have to worry about running into you, considering I expected you would have gone into retirement by now."

She cocked her gun, "You would do well to mind your tongue, Perseus Jackson, and remember who you're speaking to. But perhaps all of those years at sea has muddled your mind."

"Not a chance," He replied casually, "I think if anything, it's as clear as ever."

The intense expression on her face softened by a fraction, but the hand holding the gun was unwavering.

"How did you manage to leave the captain's ship?"

"You mean escape?" Perseus corrected.

She sighed, followed by a nod, "Yes, escape. Especially with another person, one who's clearly slowing you down."

Annabeth held back a retort. She had no idea who the woman was, but one thing was clear, she was cold and calculating. Whatever Annabeth said would almost inevitably be chewed up and spit back out by her without a second thought. But nevertheless, she asked,

"Who are you? And what is it that makes you think that you can judge me so easily?"

The huntress raised her chin slightly, "I am Artemis. I hunt in this forest with the rest of my troop, tracking down dangerous beasts. And, when needed, we may hunt down the occasional human if we find them acting with wrongful behavior. And to be clear, I was not judging you in my former statement. I was telling the truth."

Jackson hummed in agreement, as Annabeth promptly shot him a glare. Artemis returned her attention to him, readjusting the grip on her pistol.

"As you were saying," She murmured.

"I don't exactly have much choice," Perseus continued, "She has to stay with me, until I figure out what to do about the captain."

Artemis sighed, finally lowering the gun that she had trained on him. She paced towards the fire, crouching down in front of it. After gazing into the fire, she looked over her shoulder,

"Captain Roi is persistent. Especially with things that belong, or things that he believes belong to him. He'll travel the four corners of the earth if it means returning you two to his clutches. The captain cannot be stopped with fair reasoning, Jackson. You know what that means, don't you?"

Perseus rose, sighing in exasperation, "I know what it means!"

When he grew silent again, Artemis prompted an offer,

"You know," The huntress said with a smirk, "I could simply take it from here. Now that he's on foot searching for you and the girl, there's always my...Expertise, involving those who act wrongfully."

He didn't answer her, and instead, rifled through the supplies once more in silence. Artemis poked at the fire with a stick laying on the ground, sighing again,

"You and I, along with any person who has encountered the captain, knows that he is a terrible person. The world would be a better place without him in it. So, why not let me handle him? Get away for a while, find someplace to-"

"Enough!" He snapped, "Enough..."

Perseus packed the remainder of his bag, tossing it over his shoulder. He looked over at Artemis,

"I won't hear anymore about the matter, this is my quarrel, and I have to deal with it on my own."

Artemis looked away with grudging silence, before nodding once in Annabeth's direction,

"Release her."

The hands holding Annabeth let go, and she stumbled forward slightly. Artemis stood, facing Perseus.

"Just so that you are aware, I'm not going to wait forever to pay back that favor. If you're as stubborn as your father, then I know that you'll never cash it in. And if that's the case, I might just find myself in retirement before you do."

He looked back at the huntress, "If I do find myself in any severe amount of trouble anytime soon, you'll be the first to know. Still, don't get your hopes up."

Artemis folded her arms over her vest with a disdainful grunt. She pointed to her left, into the forest,

"The closest town is in that direction."

He nodded affirmatively.

"Good luck," She said before adding, "You sure as hell will need it."

* * *

><p>They trudged along, Perseus yielding a torch, and when they were far enough away from the campsite, Annabeth spoke again,<p>

"So," She began, her voice laced with contempt, "Your name is Perseus?"

He scoffed, his eyebrows knitting together, "That's what she called me, isn't it?"

"Yes," Annabeth replied, "I suppose I just wanted to boast about it somewhat. You're not as secretive as you try to be. And your attempt at being suave towards Artemis looked more like desperate flirting."

"Just because someone else said my name doesn't make you a sleuth. If you hadn't heard it otherwise, I can assure you that I never would have told you it. And for the record, I was _not_ flirting."

She folded her arms, "Oh, of course. Your true sense of flirting would've had her in bed with you in minutes, I'm sure."

Perseus sighed irritably. Annabeth concealed a smirk, thinking she had won. But after a moment of choosing his words, he replied,

"If you knew anything about Artemis, you would know that she is not the loose type. She never has been, and I don't see that she ever will be. Artemis is committed to her hunting, and nothing more."

He stopped in his tracks, and she paused alongside him. In the glowing light from the torch, he looked down at her,

"And if you actually knew something that was true about _me_, rather than what you've..._Deducted_, you would know I'm not just some barbaric pirate."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "What? And you haven't judged me before? Calling me a spoiled rich girl?"

"Like Artemis said...It's not judging. It's the truth."

Annabeth's face grew warmer, causing Perseus to smirk. As he walked away, she blinked a few times, as if breaking from a trance. She followed behind Perseus, replaying his words over and over in her head. Annabeth wanted to call him out on his words, to protest him in his attacks against her. But, she knew deep down that she was truly in the wrong.

She had been so used to, so accustomed to living as a superior, practically inhaling the air that was luxury with each passing day. Annabeth had never once in her life gone a day without food, never once had her wants or needs ignored. She knew that it wasn't her own intentions to act snooty. It had just always been a part of her. Her behavior had always been seen as normal, as she had always been amongst the wealthy.

And now, traveling with Perseus, she was no longer in her usual domain. Annabeth was simply being herself, using her old personality. But to him, she was sure that he thought she was doing it on purpose, tormenting him due to his own, much lower status. She looked up at him, staring at the back of his head. Annabeth quietly wished she could apologize to him.

As she opened her mouth to speak, she faltered. With a sigh, she shut it once more, walking behind him. The tension had been built up between them enough. She knew that she was the one who would have to apologize. But she also knew that it could wait until morning.

"Here," He said, his voice startling her, "We'll rest here for a few hours. I'll take watch."

"No," Annabeth took the torch from his hand, "I will."

Perseus raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest. He slumped against a rock, curling up slightly. And without another word, he dozed off. Annabeth looked out into the jungle, perching on top of a medium-sized boulder. And as Perseus quietly slept, she kept vigil.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again, I'm really sorry for the delay. Anyways, check back next Saturday, I'll make a point to remember to update on time!**

**Leaded-Pegasus**


	6. VI: Aquaintanceship

**A/N: I never got to directly wish you guys a Happy New Year, as far as I remember. So, Happy New Year! I hope it's filled with success, love, happiness, or, well, whatever you're looking for in life. Enjoy the chapter.****  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span><strong>VI: Acquaintanceship<strong>

Annabeth remained awake for the remainder of the evening, keeping watch as Perseus slept. She would occasionally glance at his sleeping figure, and never once did he stir. He slept like a rock. Still, she didn't feel surprised about that fact in the least bit. After all that happened in the previous day, she wanted to do the very same.

But, everything that had happened with the hunters, Artemis, and her own troop had happened because Annabeth had decided to run off into the jungle. It was because of her own carelessness that they had floundered in the jungle all day. At the very least, she supposed she could let Perseus sleep for a few interrupted hours. She arched her back, propping her arms behind her as she tried to look up at the sky. But all she could see was the thick vines and greenery.

Again, she found herself craning her neck back towards the ground to look at Perseus. Despite his own insistence that he wasn't a greedy thief, along with her own revelations the hours before, she was still weary of her traveling counterpart. While he had claimed his reasons for bringing her with him was to avoid her giving away his location, and that was reasonable enough for her, she was still fearful what he would do after Captain Roi was taken care of. Or, whether or not Captain Roi would ever be disposed of, whatever the means were. What were to happen if he chased them forever, keeping Annabeth at Perseus' side forever?

She sighed. While she was willing to apologize to him, she certainly didn't admire his personality. And even if she did, she most definitely didn't want to travel to the ends of the earth with him in hopes of evading the captain. Still...Being able to travel, it sounded more desirable than being a shut-in housewife for the rest of her life...

Annabeth leaned forward, massaging her temples, "God..."

She wanted to hit herself in the forehead for fretting so much, but she knew it wouldn't alleviate her sudden headache. Annabeth knew she couldn't plan ahead, not in the situation she was in. She would be lucky enough to even make it another day without making some life-threatening mistake. The world was an unpredictable place. After all, Annabeth hadn't been expected to have been taken by pirates days before.

Yet there she was, running from them alongside Perseus. That had been another unpredicted event. As soon as she stepped foot on Captain Roi's ship, she had expected to be there for the rest of her life, however long that might have been. But, for whatever reason, he had decided to take her with him, even though he clearly knew that she would only slow him down. So why had he taken her?

Annabeth jumped slightly as Perseus' sudden movements jarred her from her thoughts. He stirred in his sleep, as his eyes lazily opened. She sighed a breath of relief as he stretched with a boisterous yawn.

"Good morning," She greeted.

Annabeth waited, despite the fact that she didn't expect any reply. But she nearly jumped again when he rose and said,

"Morning."

He scooped up the bag, rubbing his eyes. With a final yawn, he regarded her finally,

"Ready to get moving?"

* * *

><p>Perseus led the way with a steady pace. The rough, hard-to-traverse terrain of the jungle hadn't receded or faltered in the least bit. Annabeth, as far as she was concerned, was in disbelief that they were anywhere near a town. There weren't any signs or posts pointing in any direction. So, she supposed she just had to have faith in his sense of directions, along with faith that Artemis hadn't been tricking them.<p>

"So," Perseus spoke, "Why didn't you wake me up to take watch last night?"

She thought of a lie promptly,

"I wasn't tired. I didn't see the point in waking you when you clearly were exhausted."

Annabeth looked up at the back of his head. It bobbed slowly with a series of nods after a moment,

"I see."

They walked on, Annabeth's gaze fixed on the horizon. She peered around Perseus, and could see the tops of trees, stretching out in the distance. They were on a ledge, looming over the rest of the jungle.

"Stop."

Perseus' voice cut into the air, and she followed his command. Her feet stopped walking, as he took a few more paces. Perseus looked out, searching meticulously. After a few minutes of watching him do this, she saw his index finger stretch out,

"There," He said, "I can see the town from here. But unfortunately..."

Perseus grew silent, and she rolled her eyes,

"Unfortunately?"

He waved her over, and she walked towards him. She saw that he was looking downwards, over the ledge. Her heart skipped a beat at what was below: A huge river. But instead of a serene, almost still one, it was ripping downstream, white water rapids spraying through the air a few hundred feet below. She choked, struggling for words,

"How-"

"That's certainly the question," Perseus sighed nonchalantly.

"Can't we just go farther downstream? Find a more calm part of the river?"

He shook his head, "Not an option. Doing that would set us back a few days. And we need to get to that town by tonight, get some more distance between us and the captain."

"What do you propose, then?" Annabeth folded her arms.

He regarded the vines hanging over the rocky edge of the cliff,

"We'll climb down. Then swim across."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "And what makes you think I can swim across _that_? What makes you think that _you_ can swim across that?"

Perseus crouched down, still looking at her as he sliced up a clump of vines, "Don't you remember? You're talking to a barbaric pirate. I can swim perfectly fine. Here-"

He tossed her a length of vine.

"Tie it to your waist. I'll tie the other side to mine, and I'll get us both across. There, have I reassured you?"

Annabeth looked down, regarding the vine, then back at him.

"Absolutely not."

His mouth drooped, "You don't exactly have a choice. Either you climb, or you stay up here and take your chances."

Annabeth stared over the cliff again, knowing he was right. She wrapped a portion of the vine around her waist, raveling it here and there. Perseus shook his head,

"No, no," He grumbled, taking the vine from her hands, "If you leave it like that, the current will pull you right out of your so-called knot."

As he tied it, she narrowed her eyes at him,

"I don't suppose knot-tying is a hobby of yours?"

Annabeth heard a faint chuckle as he finished off the knot. Then, he fashioned it around himself, copying the same knot,

"Not a hobby, per-say. It's just another skill that comes with being a pirate...There, that should do it."

They were tied together, with about three to five feet in spare vine between each other. Annabeth let out a nervous sigh, and he regarded her,

"You don't like heights," Perseus observed.

She shook her head, "I don't see why anyone would."

"Well," He crouched down, his foot just reaching the edge, "Consider this an opportunity to overcome the fear. Ready?"

"As ready as I can be, I suppose."

"I'll go first," He told her, selecting a vine, "Let me show you how it's done...Girl."

"Don't call me-" Annabeth faltered with an irritated huff as he started to shimmy down. Before long, the vine tugged slightly, followed by Perseus' somewhat struggled voice,

"Start climbing!"

She too picked out a vine, and hanging on for dear life, she started to climb down. Almost instantly, a burning sensation crept through her arms as she grunted slightly.

"Keep going," Perseus said below her, "We've still got a long way to go. And I would suggest not looking down anytime soon."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, shimmying down a few more feet,

"You are, without a doubt, the most reassuring person I've met."

She continued climbing, her arms already trembling from the sudden exertion. Annabeth tried to ignore the searing pain in her arms, as well as keeping herself from looking down. It seemed as though they had been climbing for an eternity when the sound of the water was finally getting closer and closer,

Percy had stopped climbing, waiting until Annabeth was directly across from him. He looked down at the water whip-lashing below them.

"That was the easy part!" Perseus shouted over the currents.

"The _easy_ part?"

"Now we've just got to swim to the other side! On three, jump down, alright?"

Annabeth nodded, a shot of water spraying her lightly,

"Alright!"

"One, two-"

Annabeth clenched her eyes shut as he said three, letting go of the vine. They both jumped, landing in the water. She paddled upwards, struggling against the current. Annabeth could feel a strong tugging on her waist, Perseus was leading her along. She just barely managed to get her head over the current, gasping for air, before another wave put her back under.

Her lungs screamed for air, but she held her breath with all of her might. She pinched her nose, in case they gave out suddenly. Annabeth kept her eyes shut, letting Perseus pull her along. Finally, she felt his hand push her forward, and she put her own out. She grasped onto a bar of sand, and burying her hand in it, she pulled herself from the water.

She coughed and spluttered. Annabeth slicked her hair back over her ears, rubbing her eyes. Turning, she searched for Perseus, but frowned.

He was nowhere to be seen.

The vine attached to her waist stretched out towards the water, and she yanked it forward with ease. The end of it was frayed-It had broken. She gasped, standing,

"Perseus?" She called, searching desperately in the water.

Annabeth pulled the vine from her waist, stepping over it. She looked into the water again, before jogging downstream along the narrow sandbar. She continued calling his name as the continued down it, and finally, she spotted him. Well, his arm, anyway, the rest of his body was completely underwater. Annabeth picked up her pace to a sprint as she tugged at his arm and pulled him out.

She grunted under his weight, towing his sopping wet body from the current. With a final heave, Annabeth tossed him into the sand, as he flopped down, lifeless. Crouching down beside him, she shook his shoulder lightly. It didn't jar him. She shook him harder,

"Damn it, Perseus, this isn't funny in the least bit!"

Annabeth rolled him over onto his back. His wet hair was plastered onto his forehead, his eyes were closed, as beads of water rolled from his face. She noted that his lips were an light, but unnerving shade of blue. Annabeth raised her hands in the air slightly, clueless. Finally, she brought one across the face with a sharp slap. The sand that had stuck to his face flew into the air from the sudden impact.

Perseus' eyes flew open, and he sat forward with a start as he coughed up water. This continued for a few minutes, until he fell back into the sand, his chest rising and falling,

"Why the hell did you hit me?"

"Well, you weren't exactly responding to anything else! You left me no choice!" Annabeth stood, "God, you're the most wretched, ungrateful-"

He burst into laughter suddenly, cutting off her sentence. She glared down at him. Perseus continued to laugh, finishing off with an abrupt fit of coughing,

"Calm down," He said, laughing again, "I-um, I didn't think that hitting me would exactly snap me out of it...But it did."

She sighed, drawing her arms to her chest, "So much for being an excellent swimmer."

Perseus rose, struggling to his feet slightly, "I _am_ an excellent swimmer. But in my defense, the vine broke."

"Hmm," Annabeth responded, unconvinced.

He removed his boots, shaking the water from them before returning them to his feet, "Well...Let's get moving."

Perseus faced the jungle, waving her along. He trudged along, with Annabeth following him. She looked up at the back of his head again, and he drew in a breath of air,

"Perseus."

Annabeth sped up slightly, matching his gait. He focused on her, waiting. She struggled slightly, before saying,

"I'm sorry."

He blinked a few times, listening as she continued.

"I haven't been exactly...The most agreeable person to work with. I know you had your own judgments against me beforehand, and for all of the right reasons. And I know I most certainly had my own against you. I-I shouldn't have done that. Granted, I still don't know you that well, but if we're going to be traveling together for and extended period of time, I think...I think we should try to get to know each other a little more."

Perseus glanced away, and she too averted her eyes.

"Still..." She muttered, "I think I owe you enough to let you decide that."

They walked along for a minute longer, before he replied,

"I...Think I'd like that."

Annabeth grinned at him, nodding, "So, you forgive me then?"

"Sure," He responded, "Only there's one rule."

"And that is?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Perseus readjusted his satchel, "Don't call me Perseus. _Ever_."

"Don't call me girl. _Ever_."

He nodded slowly, looking at the terrain ahead of them.

"Agreed. Well, what _is_ your name?"

"Annabeth."

"Annabeth," He echoed, nodding slowly, "Alright, then."

She grinned, walking alongside him. From the corner of his eye, he glanced down at her, the faint trace of a smile appearing on his own face.

"Hopefully," Percy said, "There's an inn somewhere in town. That way we can rest up in actual beds."

"Hopefully? You don't seem to have any problem with sleeping in a jungle or on the freezing deck of a ship."

He shrugged, "I still know that a bed is much more comfortable than a mossy rock."

Annabeth sighed, somewhat dreamily, "Do you think they'll have food? It would be nice to have a hot meal."

"Perhaps, but even still, your pampered insides may not be able to, well, handle what they serve."

She smirked, holding back another retort. The two of them shared in a brief laugh, as they headed in the direction of the town.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it! They're starting to get along at last! Check back next Saturday for the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your weekend!**

**Thanks for reading,**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	7. VII: On Pain Of Death

**VII: On Pain of Death**

The sun was setting by the time Annabeth and Percy had finally broken from the jungle. They stepped out into a dirt road, as a cart pulled by a pair of mules rolled past. As the dust cleared, a small town could be seen across the road. Percy sighed,

"Finally."

He jogged across the road, with Annabeth following. She looked around, searching for any signs of the captain. But with the swarms of people wandering about, it was near-impossible. Annabeth had been so occupied in looking that it took Percy shouting her name several times to jar her from it,

He called, waving her over, "Come on!"

She nodded once, walking at a quickened pace. He frowned slightly at the expression on her face,

"Something wrong?"

She folded her arms, "What do you think? We have a crazy, murderous captain after us."

Percy shook his head, "Don't worry. I'm sure he's at least a day behind us. And that gives us more than enough time to get some supplies, and regain our bearings. Now come on, you're contradicting yourself the more you stand around and fret."

He turned, walking towards a cluster of covered stalls selling goods. Annabeth sighed,

"Like I said, you're the most reassuring person you know."

"And you're the most anxious person I know."

"At least I'm worrying about things that matter," She ranted, "While you're more concerned about _shopping_."

Percy looked over his shoulder, "You'll be happy to know that I don't have any money, then."

"What? Then how do you expect to get a room at the inn?"

He turned back again, talking to a merchant selling fruit. It was piled high, so only the man's head was visible amongst the produce. As Percy talked with him, his hand inched towards an apple, slipping it into his pocket. Annabeth had to practically grit her teeth to keep her mouth from dropping open. He thanked the man, before turning back to face her,

"We're in luck," Percy announced, walking away as he examined the apple, "There is, in fact, an inn."

He chomped into the apple.

"As I asked before, how do you expect to get a room when we don't have any money? Also, I cannot believe you stole right under that man's nose!"

Percy turned, walking backwards as he took another bite,

"It's his own fault for stacking it so high. And for the record, I saw two other fellows do the exact thing. Look."

He pointed towards the fruit stand. She turned to face it, just as a man walked past, and slipped a banana into his coat.

"Like I said," Percy grumbled, "At least I'm going to _eat_ mine. Who knows what he's going to do with that."

She shuddered, pinching her eyes shut, "You're foul."

He grinned, rounding the corner of a stall selling shirts. Annabeth watched as his hand drifted across the shirts, and as soon as the seller turned his back, he snatched one up. Percy continued this with each table, picking up various items. A pair of pants, a hat, a belt. Finally, he had enough for a new outfit.

A part of Annabeth wanted to condemn him for his criminal actions, but after seeing his clever and cunning abilities, she felt more impressed than anything. As they wandered away from the market area, he handed her the clothing. She took them, frowning at the items in her arms.

"They're for you."

Annabeth laughed nervously, as she felt what seemed was a twinge of flattery,

"I can't take this."

Percy folded his arms, "What are you going to do? After all, I already stole it, and if you try and return it, they'll think _you_ stole it. Besides, that dress is in tatters."

She sighed, looking at the clothing again,

"Fine, but only because I don't have any other choice."

They walked on, towards the row of short buildings. Percy walked towards one in particular, and Annabeth assumed it was the inn. The two of them entered it, and stepped into a dim, quiet bar. There was hushed conversation among the handful of patrons, and Percy walked up to the man tending the bar. He leaned over the bar, speaking in a quiet voice as he passed some money across the table.

The barkeeper took it, and handed Percy a key. Percy waved her over from the door, as they walked up the short flight of stairs. Annabeth suddenly remembered the money Percy had handed over,

"Wait a minute," She said, "How did you-"

"The same way I got that clothing," Percy responded, tossing the key up into the air as he walked, "Now, I'm sure you're going to want to change."

He stopped at a door in the small hallway, unlocking the door. As he pushed it open, he regarded it.

"I'll meet you downstairs," Percy said, "We can get something to eat in the tavern."

Annabeth nodded once, before he turned and returned to the bar. She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. It was a small, somewhat grungy room. Two beds stood against the wall beside the door, divided by a rickety nightstand. An open window was on the other side of the room, opening out into the jungle that stood behind the town.

She peeled the still-damp dress from her body, tossing it aside. Annabeth pulled on her breeches, shirt, and boots before examining the hat Percy had stolen. She let out an airy laugh, before tossing it onto one of the beds. It was preposterous, the idea of her wearing a hat like that. Annabeth then examined herself, looking down at the outfit she was wearing.

While it didn't fit perfectly, she found the clothing amazingly comfortable. Well, more comfortable than a suffocating corset and dress, anyway. It felt...Redeeming almost, wearing what she was. If her father could see her now, his jaw would surely drop to the ground. She almost wished he was there, just to see his reaction.

Annabeth smirked at this, before she left the inn room. She returned downstairs, searching for Percy. She noticed him sitting in the corner of the room, at a small table. Annabeth joined him, taking the spare seat across from him as she observed him. He lurched over a bowl, filled with a steaming liquid,

"It's soup," He said.

"I can see that," Annabeth answered, leaning back.

Percy finished off what remained in the bowl before pushing it aside with a content sigh. As he did, he seemed to notice Annabeth's outfit change. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand,

"Well," Percy muttered, "You look...Different."

Annabeth folded her arms, grinning, "I'll assume you meant that as a compliment."

"Of course," He quickly added, "It-It suits you, in a way."

Annabeth felt a slight twinge of confusion as her face grew warm. She was grateful for the dim lighting in the bar, otherwise he would have surely noticed the change of color that inevitably had occurred. She cleared her throat with a faint smile on her face,

"Thank you."

He nodded once, before leaning forward slightly,

"I asked around the bar," Percy spoke, careful as he continued in a hushed tone, "We're a few hundred miles from Port Royal."

Annabeth blinked a few times out of disbelief. Were they really that far?

"Now, you can't go back yet, but once all of this is settled...You can. But for now, we need to find a good place to stay, a place where there's trustworthy people that we know."

Annabeth shook her head slowly, "I've never been anywhere outside Port Royal. Well...London, perhaps."

"London's out of the question," Percy replied, shaking his head, "No...There's only one option."

"And that is?"

Percy sighed, "We have to go to my home village."

"That's a fantastic idea," She answered, "Why do you sound concerned?"

He was quiet for a moment, before shaking his head,

"It's a long story. One which I would rather not indulge you with."

Annabeth pondered this for a while, "Does it have something to do with your father?"

She saw him stiffen in his seat.

"I-No...No, it doesn't. But my father doesn't have any place in our conversations together, understand?"

"Well," Annabeth sighed, "I thought you were willing to warm up to me a little."

Percy was quick to defend himself,

"I am willing to! But my father will not be a topic of conversation! I'm sure you could say the same about yours, no?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but he had caught her off guard. He was right, her father wouldn't be a conversation piece.

"Fine," She said, "Fine. I'm sure you have your reasons, as I have my own."

Percy nodded.

"How long do you think we're going to stay here?" Annabeth questioned.

"Just for the night," He responded.

"Are we walking?"

"No, we'll hitch a ride to the village. Which is what I have to go arrange now. I'm sure it will take some time to find one, so you might want to get some rest."

At his suggestion, Annabeth was quickly reminded of how severely exhausted she really felt. While the past few days had been tiring, she had been under so much stress that even if she had gotten the opportunity to get a decent amount of rest, she would've been too restless. But now that there was an actual bed, and they finally had regained their bearings, she felt as though she could rest a little easier.

"I won't argue with that," She answered.

He fiddled with the strap of his bag, "Well, I'll be back soon."

Annabeth nodded a few times, before he turned and walked out the door of the inn. She didn't wait around in the bar, not wanting to dwell in the presence of the bar-goers for a particularly lengthy time. She ascended up the stairs, returning to the room. She flopped down onto the bed closest to her, and didn't bother to check the cleanliness of the sheets. The exhaustion was too overwhelming to move another muscle.

She settled in, staring up at the ceiling for only a few moments before drifting off into a light sleep. Annabeth would wake up occasionally, checking to see if Percy had returned. But every time she opened her eyes, the presence of light in the room would slowly dwindle, but his state of absence remained the same. After a number of times that she woke up, she was finally awoken involuntarily by a hand on her shoulder. She gasped, jumping slightly as she sat up.

Percy stood over her, backing away,

"Easy."

Annabeth let out a sigh of relief, putting a hand to her chest, "I didn't hear you come in."

He grinned, "It seems as though at this point you would be a light sleeper. I managed to pay someone who was willing to drive us. It won't be the most accommodating ride, but it will get us there."

"How are we getting there, then?"

"Well," Percy leaned against the doorway, "He sells straw bales, and he'll let us perch on the back of the cart. As I was saying, it's not exactly accommodating-"

"But it will get us there."

He nodded, "We leave in ten minutes' time."

Annabeth yawned in response, stretching her arms up over her head. She hopped off the bed, fetching the hat Percy had stolen from the floor. Percy cracked another smile as she rested it on the top of her head,

"How does it look?"

He brushed the brim of it with his hand, "Dirty, but fitting. You look intimidating in a way. Well, intimidating for a girl."

"For a girl?" She repeated.

"Hmm," He hummed in response, leading her from the room.

Annabeth folded her arms, "If you ask me, I think I could give Artemis and her hunters a run for their money with this outfit."

"Believe me," Percy snorted, "It's not the outfit. It's the expression you wear. Perhaps if you had a more intimidating face, you'd look threatening wearing anything. Even that dress of yours."

Annabeth shot him a glare as he looked back at her.

"See? You look like you're ready to cut my throat."

"I'm considering it, actually."

Percy jogged down the steps leading into the bar, "I didn't mean any offense. After all, you are a little...Peculiar."

"How so?"

He shrugged, "Well, I'm sure that most girls if they were to be in your shoes would have been deathly afraid to even have stepped foot off of that ship. They would be too fearful of what would happen had they been caught, unlike you. You're stubborn as hell, and more than annoying at times, but you're almost...Brave, in a way."

The trace of a smile appeared on her face, "Well, I can't say I'm not flattered. Thank you."

He waved her away, "You asked me a question. I was merely answering it."

Without another word, he continued down the steps leading to the bar, with Annabeth following in tow. She glanced down at her new boots, replaying his words in her head. There was a pang of hope that struck her, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he was warming up to her in the slightest.

Throughout her life, she had been practically been a prisoner under her father's constant and over-protective eye. She was deprived of any sense of friendship with someone of her own age. Her nurse was the strongest bond she had ever held with anyone, and the closest thing she had resembling a friend. But, the more and more time she spent with Percy, she found it harder and harder to feel a sense of dislike towards him. And, more recently, it seemed as though he reciprocated the same feeling.

She doubted that he would ever consider her anything more than a friend, especially after the whole ordeal was over. In fact, she would probably be lucky to even remain in contact with him following it...

Annabeth scowled, erasing the thoughts from her head. She was thinking too far ahead, despite the fact that she knew she would only fluster herself. As far as she was concerned, she would be lucky to survive Captain Roi's wrath once they finally faced him again.

_Focus on the task at hand: Surviving_, she thought to herself.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, as Percy approached the bar. She heard him mutter a slew of words to the barkeeper, and she narrowed her eyes as he put a few coins down on the table. Annabeth took a few more paces from the foot of the stairs until she was standing beside him. The barkeeper slid him a drink, and he downed it with a single gulp.

"You're drinking?" She hissed, "At this hour?"

He sighed as he placed the cup back down on the table, "I'll be lucky to get any sleep on this ride, especially with you talking my ear off. Think of it as a sleeping remedy, not a drink."

Percy nodded once to the man behind the counter in thanks as he leaned away from the bar. They trudged towards the door, and it opened. A line of men walked past them, but in the darkness of early morning, their faces were obscured somewhat. The group talked amongst themselves as they entered the bar, and Percy and Annabeth exited. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she hear a familiar voice say,

"You. You seen a fellow? Black hair, this tall. He should be with a girl."

Annabeth bit back a whimper, "Percy..."

He hushed her, "I know."

Percy, as they walked, glanced back, the muscles in his shoulders taut. She too looked back, just as the barkeeper pointed out the door, right at them.

Captain Roi arose from the shadows of the inn, standing under the lantern of the doorway, his face illuminated with a pale yellow. Percy's head snapped forward, as he broke into a sprint,

"Run!" He told her.

She too ran, finding herself side-by-side with Percy. He reached into his bag, handing her a pistol.

"Take this," Percy ordered as they ran, "You've only got one shot, so use it sparingly, alright?"

Annabeth nodded, looking down at the pistol. She looked back, drawing a breath of terror as Roi's men took pursuit, yelling and howling with amusement at their prey. She looked ahead, scanning their surroundings. Ahead, a cart-load of small red barrels sat, an all-too familiar sight-Gunpowder. Her father loved to sell the stuff at an unbelievable price to his partners.

She stopped in front of it, and Percy faltered in his running,

"What in God's name are you doing?"

"Keep going! I'll handle this."

He sighed, "This isn't the time for heroics! Now start running, and..."

His eyes landed on the barrels, and he grew silent. Slowly, he regarded her again, "You're crazy."

"I suppose I am," She replied, trying to keep a calm head, "Go, he'll have no reason to spare us now if he traps us both here."

Percy nodded reluctantly, before running off. She noted his direction that he ran in, the cart taking them to the village would be waiting there. Annabeth turned slowly, backing away a few paces from the cart. The men approached, roaring eagerly before stopping. Captain Roi came to the front of the group with leisure, but appeared all but relaxed,

"There's no point in attempting to run, girl," He growled, "Our little game of cat and mouse will end _now_!"

She raised her pistol, in order to prevent him from coming any closer towards her, "Don't move another muscle, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your lice-infested head."

Annabeth gripped the handle in order to prevent any signs of trembling. Otherwise, he would call her bluff instantly. For extra measure, she brought her other hand up to the handle, gripping it tightly. He froze in his tracks, gazing at the pistol,

"There's no need to be waving a gun around. My, my, a few days away from home has changed you quite drastically."

Captain Roi gazed at her, licking his lips like a snake before its' meal.

"Perhaps," He continued, "You would consider striking a deal with me."

Annabeth glared at him, "Speak."

"Surrender your weapon, give up the location of the boy, and I'll let you go free."

She hesitated at this offer. Surely anyone else besides her would take the deal without any hesitation. Who wouldn't give up a nuisance of a pirate that Percy was? A part of her screamed in her head, urging her to accept the bargain.

Annbeth lowered her gun. A yellowed, filmy grin appeared on Roi's face.

Slowly, she crouched down, but as she was about to place her pistol on the ground, she pointed it again. Roi's men gasped, and the captain's smile disappeared as fast as it had appeared beforehand,

"Perhaps the girl you kidnapped and sought to take advantage of would take that offer," She sneered, "But as of now, you're dealing with a completely different person, Captain Roi."

Annabeth trained the gun on a powder barrel laying on the ground, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p>To say that the explosion was loud was an understatement. It was <em>deafening<em>. When Annabeth had fired off the gun, she had been blinded by the light that a chain reaction of extremely potent powder had ignited, followed by the excruciating sensation she instantly felt in her ears. The force of the explosion knocked her off her feet, sending her flying into the air. She landed harshly, and face-first.

Annabeth laid there, blood trickling from her nose for what felt like an eternity. There was chaos all around her, screams, heavy footsteps, the heavy whooshes as fire consumed whatever it could reach. Suddenly, she was pulled to her feet as her arm was draped around something. A strong hand wrapped around her forearm, and the other arm wrapped around her waist as she was pulled along. She opened her eyes, but they were blurry from the impact of her fall.

"Who-?"

"It's me," Percy replied, his voice calm, "Looks like that gunpowder did the trick, eh?"

She blinked, as her head drooped involuntarily. Percy pulled her along, her feet dragging in the mud,

"Stay awake," He urged, "We're getting out of here."

"Where's the..." She faltered, "The wagon?"

Percy pulled her up slightly, "Forget the wagon. We've got to move faster than that."

They stopped walking, as Percy gently put his hands under her arms. He pulled her up, grunting as she was hoisted into the air. She was teetered on the edge of something cold as he hoisted himself up. Annabeth opened her eyes, still somewhat blurry, and found herself sitting on the back of a horse. Percy pulled her the rest of the way, so that she was sitting in front. He leaned forward, his body pressing on her back as he took the reins,

"H'yah!"

The horse bolted forward. They charged down the road, the sounds of the horse's hooves pounding against the dirt. Annabeth gritted her teeth, trying with all of her might to keep her eyes open.

"That was a crazy stunt back there," Percy said, "But highly amusing to watch."

She glared at the road, "You mean you stood idly by while I distracted them for nothing?"

"Don't put it that way, it makes me feel guilty," Percy answered humorously, "You know I would've stepped in had you needed help. But it seemed as though you had it under control."

"As a matter of fact, I _don't_ know whether or not you would've helped me. And I was scared out of my mind, I'll have you know."

Percy was silent as they continued down the road,

"You may have been scared," He said, "But I saw quite the contrary."

Annabeth laughed, followed by a non-nonchalant sigh, "Please, I knew he was bluffing. Had he been telling the truth I would've given you up in a heartbeat."

Percy chuckled in response, acknowledging her sarcasm. After a few moments of shared laughter, they both fell silent. But a few minutes later, however, he spoke again,

"What if he _had_ been telling the truth? Would you have taken the offer?"

She looked down at her lap, "I..."

Annabeth sighed, and he laughed again, "You can be honest. I'm simply curious."

Eventually, she shook her head, "I don't believe I would. I'd have no where to go."

"What about your family? Your home?"

"I'd never go back there. I never want to go back there."

"What do you plan to do after Roi is dealt with, then?"

"I-I don't know."

"You know you can't stay with me, don't you?"

She nodded glumly, "I know."

His hands tightened slightly on the reins as she said this. Annabeth looked down into her lap again. She had hoped so much that he would've at least considered her coming with him. It meant that she could have a chance of adventure, friendship, even. She knew she had no chance of either of those things if she returned home.

"How much farther is it?" She asked, her tone angered.

Percy clearly had noted her aggravated tone, as there was some delay to his answer,

"Probably a few more hours," Percy answered softly, "Perhaps you should get some rest."

Annabeth folded her arms, "I'm fine."

He said nothing more, as they continued down the muddy road leading to Percy's old home in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This, by far, has been my favorite chapter to write. Annabeth's bad-assery was quite fun to write, I have to say. Anyhow, check back next Saturday for chapter eight!**

**Thanks for reading,**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	8. VIII: The Past

**A/N: Happy Saturday! I believe this chapter is quite a bit longer than most of the other chapters, so enjoy! After all, there's only going to be two chapters after this one!****  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span><strong>VIII: The Past<strong>

The two of them approached a small town situated on a small ridge. Buildings dotted the looming land, as well as below. Seagulls glided above, and with the sound of waves, Annabeth knew the ocean was nearby. But despite the presence of a town, there wasn't a single person to be seen. Percy guided the horse to the center of the town, in a dirt square. They came to a stop, as the horse shuffled on its feet.

Percy climbed down, wordlessly putting his hand out for Annabeth. She took it, climbing down as her legs shook jauntily. Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally on the ground again. He exhaled quietly as he glanced around,

"Where is everyone?"

Annabeth looked at the seemingly abandoned town, then at Percy. His shoulders drooped with disappointment,

"I think-" He faltered, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, "I think it's been abandoned."

Annabeth stood beside Percy in silence, as if he were waiting for some kind of answer to his speculation. But only the silence answered back, blowing across the square. Percy sighed again,

"Well, I suppose we shouldn't waste anymore time. Let's just keep moving."

He turned towards the horse, but Annabeth stopped him before he could ascend.

"Wait," She said, "Perhaps we should look around."

"What is there too look at?" He questioned impatiently, "There's nothing but abandoned old buildings and dust."

Annabeth walked towards the closest house, but Percy didn't object. She peered inside the window. An overturned table was all that was present in the one room building. Annabeth moved on, but found a similar sight. There were only a few broken or weathered household items.

Annabeth continued this process until she came across a house with the curtains drawn. She frowned, as her hand drifted towards the doorknob. Her frown deepened when it wouldn't budge.

"This was my master's old house," Percy's voice remarked as he approached, "Crazy old man. He always liked being shut in this damn place."

He too attempted to open the door, but when he didn't have any luck, he planted a kick on the door. It opened sharply, the spot where his foot had kicked had caved into a splintered maw. Percy entered the building, and Annabeth scowled,

"If this is your master's house, isn't it a little disrespectful to just be barging in?"

"Yes," Another voice croaked inside, "That is quite disrespectful, boy."

Annabeth nearly jumped out of her skin when a figure looked around the back of his chair which was facing in the direction of a dying fire. Percy froze in the doorway, Annabeth stood closely behind him. Percy chuckled,

"Son of a bitch...You're _still_ alive."

"Damn right I am," The voice growled, "And you're still just as ugly as you were five years ago, from the looks of it."

Percy let out a disdainful, but unaffected grunt.

"Why don't you get your ass out of that chair, or will I have to drag you out of it?"

The man laughed briefly, "Oh no. You'll find that I'm quite capable-"

Annabeth gasped as the man in the room let out a war cry. Then, she saw him leap from his chair, and directly at Percy. Annabeth jumped out of the way, shuffling to the side of the door. Percy wrestled back and forth, and Annabeth held back a surprised scream when she saw the appearance of his opponent.

A wild-haired man, bony but clearly strong, screamed like an animal as he pummeled Percy. But that wasn't the strange part. What was odd about him was the fact that just below the knees, the remainder of his legs were missing. The extra cloth from his pant-legs was rolled up, concealing it somewhat. Percy, as he was holding off the man, finally noticed his lack of lower legs.

He stopped resisting as he gasped, "Chiron! What the hell-"

Chiron landed a punch across Percy's cheek, who grunted before rolling on his side to clutch his face. He roared with victory before toppling over and away from Percy.

"I see you have forgotten the very rule I was constantly drilling into your head: Never, under any circumstances, let your guard down, you stupid boy!"

Percy stood, nursing his bruised cheek,

"What in God's name was that for, Chiron?"

"No reason whatsoever," Chiron grumbled, "I was simply eager to have someone to spar with once more."

Percy regarded Chiron's legs,

"So...What happened to you?"

Chiron waved him away, "Eh, just an accident, but no matter. Now...What are you doing here?"

Percy folded his arms, before grimly answering, "I'm in some trouble. With Roi."

"You've always been in some form of trouble. But with Roi? Can't say I'm surprised. So, what did you do to piss of the captain?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm here, aren't I? Put the rest of the pieces together."

"You deserted his crew," Chiron deducted, regarding Annabeth, "And you brought this lass with you."

"He took her captive after her father was trapped into being unable to pay his debt to the captain," Percy explained, "I brought her with me."

"How noble of you," Chiron batted his eyelashes, before scowling, "But how the hell was he trapped?"

Percy leaned against the doorway of Chiron's house, "He stole the goods in the dark of night, and when her father wasn't able to give them, he took Annabeth here as payment instead."

Chiron chuckled, "As much as I hate the bastard, you certainly have to admit that he's a _clever_ bastard. But what do you want me to do about Roi? I'm not exactly in any condition to fight, if that's what you came to me for."

"No," Percy answered, "As a matter of fact, I was surprised to find anyone here. Especially you, old man."

"Ah, shut up!" Chiron roared, "If you keep it up, I'll give you another bruise to match the one you've already got!"

"Now," Percy continued, somewhat persistently, "I was wondering if you still had that old ship of yours?"

"Ship?" Chiron echoed, "I don't see how it'll do you much good. You're outnumbered and outgunned."

Percy backed away from the door frame, "I don't need you to give me advice. Do you still have the ship or not?"

"Course I do," Chiron answered, folding his arms, "But it might as well be a bloody wreck. It's gone to shit over the years, and it's going to take you weeks to get it even close to fighting condition. And you clearly don't have weeks, boy."

"Where is it?"

"Same place it always was."

Percy turned on his heels, marching away in silence as he crossed the road and vanished into the jungle. Annabeth's mouth opened and closed, as she looked on in disbelief,

"He'll be back, girl," Chiron mumbled, walking on his hands back towards his house, "He'll be back."

Annabeth folded her arms, "Has he always acted this way?"

"No," Chiron replied blankly, "I've known him since he was born, and no one is ever born with that type of bitterness inside of them."

Annabeth turned, as Chiron fiddled with a tea kettle.

"Come in," He offered, "If you want to have any chance of understanding the boy's constant foul mood, then I would be happy to elaborate over tea."

* * *

><p>Chiron poured the hot beverage into two separate mugs, handing one to Annabeth.<p>

"I'm afraid I don't have any sugar or milk. Or honey, for that matter..." He muttered over the brim of his glass.

Annabeth nodded her head in understanding, "I've always preferred my tea plain, anyhow."

He grinned, "A pampered princess like you prefers her tea plain, eh?"

"Yes," Annabeth agreed, "I prefer it plain. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me pampered princess. My name is Annabeth."

"Very well, very well," Chiron sipped his tea, "I suppose it was unfair of me to judge you so quickly, Annabeth. It's not very often a young lady with a status as high as yours comes through this town."

Annabeth set her cup aside, "I believe it's safe to say that I no longer am included in the high status of my family name. If I return home, my father will be furious for escaping Captain Roi."

Chiron scratched at his beard intently.

"Heh," He chuckled, "I don't think the boy would let your father do that."

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, "He could care less what happens to me after this ordeal is over."

Chiron pointed at her, "And that's where you're wrong, girl. You see, Percy's got an odd way of showing his emotions. Because he _doesn't_ show them. He...Cares for you."

"Well how do you know that when he virtually has no emotions whatsoever?"

"After all that you've been through together," Chiron said, "I'm sure you've gotten at least somewhat attached to each other, no? It's not everyday you're on the run from pirates, after all. I wouldn't have to see his emotions, given that he had any, to confirm my suspicions. Anyone in the ordeal you two have been in together would at least shape some sort of bond."

Annabeth blinked a few times, "So...You think he has...Feelings for me?"

"Perhaps," Chiron laughed, "Though I wouldn't bother asking the boy. He'd never admit it."

Color rushed to Annabeth's cheeks as she hurriedly sipped at her tea.

"But, I digress," Chiron said, ending his laughter, "I'm sure you're eager, if that's the correct term, to find out a little more about him."

"If it means moving on from the topic we were just speaking about, then yes."

Chiron flashed another smile, "There was a time when this town actually amounted to something, when it was a significant center for trades and the sales of goods. Granted, it could never in a million years be compared to Port Royal, but we got by with the handful of merchants that set up shop here. Poseidon, was one of the most successful merchants in town, and it stayed that way for years. Well, until he decided to settle down. He made a number of his business partners quite unhappy with that decision."

Chiron reclined in his seat with a sigh.

"Captain Roi was the most furious out of all of them. Poseidon had been hired by him years before to sell the riches that the captain and his main crew discovered. After all, Poseidon was one of the few trustworthy merchants that didn't pocket riches for themselves. The captain had lost his best merchant, and therefore, he was losing money. Poseidon retired here, in town. Married, had a kid."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth interjected, "But what does Poseidon have to do with Percy?"

"Don't you get it?" Chiron asked impatiently, "Poseidon was Percy's father, girl! Now let me continue uninterrupted!"

He sipped his tea briefly, before progressing the story,

"Eight years ago, when the boy was only ten, Roi came back to find Poseidon. He stormed into his home, ready to take Poseidon's head..."

Chiron sighed, staring intently at the table.

"Poseidon fought back, out-numbered, out-gunned. He managed to slaughter ten of those animals before they finally over-whelmed him. They took him outside, shot him between the eyes like a damn dog, right in front of his wife. They took her away, God knows where she is now."

Annabeth stared at the crippled man in disbelief, though he didn't seem the least bit fazed by the tale. He downed the rest of his tea, before chuckling bitterly,

"That day, Percy had been lucky enough to have evaded Roi's wrath, as he had been training with me. I managed to hide the boy for a few years under my care after-wards. But Roi didn't waste any time in coming back for him, too. He spared me, but Roi's form of mercy comes at a price-"

Chiron regarded his legs.

"Percy didn't resist Roi, he knew it was the only way to get to him...Something had changed in that boy the day his parents were taken away from him. The one thing he wanted more than anything was revenge. It's the only thing he still wants. He wants to destroy the captain, tear him limb from limb."

"So he's bitter," Annabeth commented, "Working under Captain Roi for so long has let his anger fester even more."

"Precisely. He was so close to that murdering bastard, but even if he did manage to kill Roi, he would never make it off the ship alive. Each and every one of those men would fight for their captain until the end."

Chiron leaned forward, "That boy...I hope you know now that his revenge has purpose. Never in the time that I knew him before the deaths of his parents did he have a bad bone in his body. I think-I _hope_, that once he ends Roi's pathetic life, it will bring closure."

Annabeth nodded, "I understand now, or at the very least, it's more clear. When the time comes for him to face Roi, I promise you I won't get in the way of his revenge."

"Thank you," Chiron sighed, "For now, perhaps you should talk to him. Head for the jungle in a straight line from here, and you won't be able to miss him."

* * *

><p>Annabeth followed Chiron's simple directions, and was relieved to find that they were accurate. The canopy of the jungle was thinned immensely, and it didn't take long for her to hear the crashing of waves. She reached the edge of the jungle, and the ocean came into view, as well as a splintered ship, which was leaned onto one side of the sand. At most, it was half the size of Roi's ship. It was small, and it didn't take a genius to realize that it hadn't been out to sea in a long, long time.<p>

She jumped slightly in surprise when she heard a slew of curse words that were shouted from the inside of the ship. Percy shouted another, before there was a loud crashing inside. Annabeth rushed towards the ship, scurrying up the rope ladder that was dangling over the side. When she reached the top, she found herself on-deck. Entire floorboards had been pulled up, or were rotting.

It was obvious from that alone that the ship had in fact been abandoned for a long while. Moss grew on the railings, and various pieces of equipment had rusted, Annabeth began to wonder what Percy had in mind for it. She spotted a hatch that led below-deck, and she tediously walked towards it. As she carefully descended down the steps, she looked around. Below deck, it was a similar scenario.

"Percy?" She called, "Where are you?"

Her answer was a loud crashing sound of metal clattering to the floor, followed by even more of his cursing. She quickly hopped down from the last stair, and started looking for him. As she darted from room to room, she finally found him as he banged away on a cannon. He didn't regard her in any way, shape, or form, until she spoke.

"What on earth do you plan to do with this ship?"

Percy wiped the sweat that drenched his brow away.

"For the same reason anyone would dare try and repair this ship," He responded, "To fight."

Tossing the hammer aside, he rose to his feet, patting the wall.

"It may not look it, but she's a good fighting ship. It may not be large, but that just means more agility and speed."

Percy looked around, sighing.

"But...Getting it to a reasonable fighting condition is easier said than done."

Annabeth looked around, "You're going to try and fight Roi in this thing?"

"This is the only way. At least with a ship, I'll have large guns, a means to escape if I lose. Even if it'll be just me."

Annabeth frowned, "What do you mean? I never said I wouldn't help you."

"I know," Percy said, looking over, "But you're not going to be helping me, either way. It's far too dangerous."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, "Like hell I'm not going to help you! What do you expect to do? Steer the ship and fire the cannons on your own? You're more insane than I ever thought possible."

"So you think you could fire a cannon?" Percy questioned, walking towards her, "Load a gun?_ Kill_ someone?"

At this last question, Annabeth faltered. She kept her mouth shut, as he nodded a few times.

"Even if you were helping me," He muttered, "You would be useless in a fight."

In a sudden burst of seething anger, she brought her hand against his face, slapping his cheek with a sharp and swift blow, with all of the strength she could muster. He grunted, turning away somewhat as he brought a hand up to the instantly-reddened mark. Percy looked at her as she drew in sharp breaths,

"Perhaps I may not be good in a fight, but I know the real reason you don't want me to fight. Because you think I'll get in the way of your revenge."

He scoffed, "What are you talking about?"

"Your parents. Captain Roi killed your parents."

Percy's hardened face instantly faltered.

"I can understand why you would want me out of your way," She continued, "But I am _not_ useless. If you thought that I was, well, maybe you should have left me run away, after all."

Annabeth turned, stalking away towards the steps leading back to the upper deck.

"Annabeth."

She wanted to freeze in her tracks, stop and listen to hear what he had to stay, but she didn't stop. Surely he was just going to berate her some more, call her a weakling. Annabeth couldn't bear to stay there another minute in his presence. She was about to climb the stairs, until a hand clasped onto her wrist, urging her to turn. Annabeth looked at Percy, leveled in height from the extra inches the step she was standing on gave her.

"I'm-I'm sorry," He muttered, his voice fragile, "I didn't mean to say that you were useless."

Annabeth glared at him, then redirected it towards his hand, which was still grasped around her wrist. He too noticed it, and after a moment, released his grip.

"What _did_ you mean to say, then?"

He sighed, "I think it's safe to say that, given the circumstances, our acquaintanceship has developed quite a bit. I suppose I care for you somewhat, and the last thing that I would want is for you to go and get yourself killed in a fight."

Her face flushed with color, but she was quick to reply,

"In case you have forgotten, you're not the only one who has a qualm with Roi. I know you want him dead more than anyone, but that doesn't mean you have to be a hero and fight him alone. Now I'm not going to let you send me off like the useless girl that you think I am, while you go and get yourself killed."

Percy nodded eventually.

"Well...I suppose I was wrong about you after all."

Annabeth folded her arms, looking away,

"You just now noticed that I'm not a snob?"

Percy shook his head, resting one foot on the step she was standing on,

"No," He replied, "I picked up on that more quickly. You're braver than I thought."

Percy was quiet for a moment.

"There were a countless amount of other times you could have left me, found your way back home. The river, in town..."  
>A hopeful smile appeared on his face,<p>

"Are you certain you want to-"

"Yes," She interrupted, "I'm not backing out of this, not now."

The smile on his face grew somewhat.

"Alright," He whispered, nodding, "Alright..."

* * *

><p>Later, after darkness had long since set in over them, Percy and Annabeth trudged back to the village. Together, they had repaired what they could. And while Annabeth tried to keep her spirits up for Percy's sake, she was beginning to fear if he would be able to manage to get it into decent fighting condition. It wasn't completely destroyed, but even still, it would be impossible for just the two of them to repair it. Annabeth thought for a moment, before speaking to Percy,<p>

"Can I ask you about something without you getting mad?"

A smirk appeared on his face in the light of the lantern he was holding,

"I suppose I can try."

"Do you think that you can repair the ship to adequate conditions in time?"

He trudged on, his smile gone as he looked downwards with a sigh,

"I don't know."

"Maybe you should ask for Artemis' help. After all, she owes you that favor. Speaking of which...Why does she owe you that favor?"

He chuckled, "It's a long story. And technically, the favor wasn't first awarded to me."

"Humor me, then."

"Well, when my father first became a merchant, he saw and witnessed quite a few terrible and gruesome things. And the worst of them was probably the slave trade. He knew right away that it was wrong, inhumane. The first slave he ever saw was Artemis."

Annabeth looked at him, "Artemis was a slave?"

He nodded, "She was born into it a number of years ago, overseas. But even still, life as a slave there was more bearable than a slave brought here. There, she could at least marry, swear oaths, _eventually_ get a decent life. But she was sold to slave traders, forced on a strenuous march in which most of the slaves would die. She survived, made it to Jamaica."

"My father told me of the conditions they were kept in. Small cages, packed with other slaves. It made him sick. So, after becoming more acquainted with the guards watching them, he got them profusely drunk so that they were too incompetent to realize that he was breaking the slaves out. When he got them safely into the forest, Artemis thanked him, and said that if the time ever came when he was in need of help, that she would do her best to serve that need."

Percy's shoulders drooped somewhat,

"She came to the village sometime after my father's death, and made the very same promise to me. I suppose that she could help us. But I'm clueless as to how to get into contact with her."

They stepped out of the forest, the village darkened from a lack of torchlight.

"Chiron!" He shouted, "You asleep, old man?"

"Like hell I am!" A voice shouted back.

Percy laughed, and Annabeth smirked as they walked towards his mentor's house. Percy opened the door, but as he did, someone sprung out, grabbing him and Annabeth. She yelped from surprise as a few more poured out from the house. Then, when they had completely surrounded the pair, Artemis stepped out of the house. Chiron followed, walking around with the help of his arms.

"There you are," She greeted casually.

"What are you doing here?"

Artemis shrugged, before motioning for her troops to release the two of them, "The forest, for the time being, is peaceful. I had a hunch that you and the girl would come here, and we traveled this way. So, I don't suppose that you want to cash in that favor now, do you?"

Percy grinned, "As a matter of fact, I do."

Artemis faltered, seemingly in disbelief.

"You do?"

"I'm taking this fight with Roi to sea. And I'm going to need your help. Are you in?"

A sly smirk appeared on her face, "Nothing would please me more."

As she said this, the sound of a horse approaching the town sounded, and the hunters raised their weapons.

"Hold your fire," Artemis ordered.

She raised a torch over her head as she approached the rider that had stopped in the middle of the square. When the illumination finally hit their face, Annabeth's eyes welled up with tears.

"Nurse!" She cried, sprinting over towards her.

She scrambled down from her horse, meeting Annabeth as they collided in a tight embrace. Her nurse kissed the top of her head.

"Oh, my dear," She sobbed, "You're alive. You're alive."

They broke away, but still held each other by their arms. Annabeth swiped the tears away,

"How did you find me?"

The nurse looked behind Annabeth, regarding someone,

"I would've never been able to find you had it not been for that young man over there."

Annabeth turned, following her gaze. Percy walked over, smiling faintly. He stopped beside Annabeth, nodding once to her nurse,

"I'm glad to see that you found your way here."

"As am I. If it wasn't for that slip of paper you had given me, I would have never found now. And thanks to you, Annabeth can safely return home."

Annabeth's smile faltered, as she looked down.

"What's the matter, my dear?"

"Nurse," She muttered, "I'm not going home. I can't go home. Not yet, anyway."

"What? What do you mean?" Her nurse's grin also vanished, "Of course you can! Your parents have been a wreck since you were taken, I was a wreck."

"Really?" She asked, angry, "My father didn't shed a single tear when I was taken away, not even one! What makes you think he would allow me back into his house, after running away from a business partner of his?"

"Why wouldn't he?" She questioned, "He wasn't the one who took you away from your home, it was Roi! Now please, my dear, come home."

Annabeth broke away from her grip.

"No. I'm staying here. They need my help fighting Roi, and I'm not going to stop helping them until he's gone for good."

The nurse blinked a few times in disbelief. But after a moment, her face softened, as she smiled somewhat,

"How many times has it been now that I've told you that your stubbornness will be the death of you?"

Annabeth reciprocated the smile, "Countless times."

"You've changed so much over the past few days, Annabeth, and you've changed for the better. I won't get in your way, but please, be careful, and get home safely."

She pulled Annabeth into another embrace,

"I love you."

Annabeth clenched her eyes shut, "I love you too, nurse."

Eventually, the two forced themselves to pull away. Her nurse turned, not looking back as she climbed back up on her horse with Percy's helping hand. With a final nod of gratitude to him, she rode away into the night, as Annabeth lowered her head and held back a sob. Annabeth acknowledged Percy,

"Thank you," She muttered, "So much."

He nodded a few times, "You're welcome. And thank you. You know, for deciding to stay."

"I've gotten this far. So, how do you plan to go about repairing this ship?"

Percy sighed, "Well, considering we have help now, it's as good a time as any to get started."

"What are we waiting for, then?"

Percy beamed at her spike of enthusiasm as Artemis walked over towards the two of them,

"She's right, what_ are_ we waiting for? Let's get to work!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: In the lightest of terms, this chapter was a bitch to write. For whatever reason, I was stuck on it way longer than I usually am with chapters. Anyways, check back next week.**

**Thanks,**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	9. IX: To Arms

**A/N: Happy Saturday! Well, my family is apparently having a very late Christmas tomorrow, since our trip to Texas in December took up quite a bit of dough and we had to delay it. So, this should be interesting...I guess. Anyhow, enjoy the new chapter, everyone!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>IX: To Arms<span>**

Percy and Annabeth, along with the help of the hunters, worked tirelessly through the night repairing the ship. While Annabeth occasionally had repair tasks of easy difficulty, she was typically fetching supplies of sorts, whether it be nails or other tools. By morning, with the help of extreme efficiency amongst those who were working on the ship, it had been repaired to the best of their abilities. The floorboards and parts of the wall panels had been replaced, the mast had been patched and re-tethered, and throughout the night, hunters had been carting back supplies like rounds and cannon balls that Chiron had stashed in the village. They stared at their handiwork in silence as the reminder of their exhaustion returned.

"We did it," Percy muttered breathlessly.

"Damn right we did," Artemis agreed, wiping the sweat away from her forehead, "But now to the hard part: Getting this thing to shore."

"Tether some ropes to the hull," Chiron, who had since joined them suggested, "Then just pull it along."

"You act like that's an easy feat, old man," Artemis sniffed, "But, I suppose he's right. Get some ropes, and tie the ship down! We're going to have to pull this thing!"

Some of Artemis' fellow hunters obliged, boarding the ship with coiled lengths of rope thrown over their shoulder, as a few others jogged towards the front of the ship to catch the ends that fell overboard.

"Fetch those mules!" She ordered, climbing aboard the ship. Percy and Annabeth looked to each other, before walking towards the two mules tethered to a tree. As Percy untied the ropes, he looked over at Annabeth,

"Nervous?" He asked.

Annabeth sighed, "With all that's going on right now, I don't have any room to be nervous."

He chuckled, before leading along one of the mules. Annabeth followed, pulling hers along.

"Here's hoping this works," She muttered.

They brought the mules towards the front of the ship, tying down two different ropes that were dangling over the edge to their harnesses. Then, everyone grabbed part of a rope,

"Get ready to pull on my orders!" Artemis yelled, "Ready...Pull!"

With one synchronized heave, everyone began to pull with all of their might. The ship began to groan and creak, but after some continued tugging, moved somewhat. They pulled and pulled, as the ship slowly, but surely, dragged through the sand. It took a long while, but eventually, they were wading through water as they continued to pull.

"Percy!" Artemis shouted, "Get the mules back to Chiron, Board the ship, and take the girl with you to help!"

Percy and Annabeth untethered the mules before they let go of their own ropes, bunny-hopping through the water as they reached the side of the ship. A rope ladder dangled over the side, and Annabeth climbed up first. Annabeth heard Chiron call his name from the shore, and he jogged over, bringing the mules with him. But after a while, Percy followed behind, as he scrambled onto the deck of the ship. He jogged up the steps leading to the quarter deck, taking the helm.

"We'll have to sail for a short while to get to an adequate depth."

"Pull these ropes back up!" Artemis shouted.

Annabeth jogged across the length of the deck, pulling each rope back up quickly and swiftly, and one by one. At this point, the ship was moving on its' own, lurching into the water. She could hear waves crashing beneath them, as they cut through the water. Finally, with one more heave into the water, it was completely afloat, drifting out into the ocean. The huntresses climbed aboard, quickly busying themselves with work.

Annabeth returned to Percy, who was still at the helm, talking to Artemis. They shook hands,

"Good work, Perseus," She said curtly, "We just might be able to defeat that sorry excuse for a man."

Percy nodded, "Thank you again for helping."

"Do not thank me," Artemis insisted, "What happened to your father was terrible, gruesome. But, perhaps it was destiny. _Your_ destiny. Destiny that had this favor pass onto you, so that you can best a tyrant who needs to be stopped once and for all and brought to justice. Let's make your father proud."

They broke away from the handshake slowly, as Percy glanced towards the ground. Artemis regarded Annabeth briefly, before walking down the steps from the quarter deck wordlessly. Annabeth looked at Percy, who had his back turned to her. Without another thought, she walked towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder,

"What's the matter?"

He turned slowly, "Chiron, he...He made us say our goodbyes."

Annabeth knit her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean he was saying goodbye to me. He knows that Roi is on his way, and that when he finds him again...He won't keep him alive."

She stared on in disbelief.

"I tried to convince him to come aboard, gain at least some chance of survival. But he just wouldn't listen to me..."

_The village had become silent again, back to its' normal state. Chiron pawed through his drawers, stumbling across a jug filled with enough liquor to fill one more glass. He poured it, before downing it with one fiery gulp. As the alcohol hit the back of his throat, he could hear the silence break again. Voices were approaching._

_The group searched each building, finally discovering him. Roi stormed in behind the men, who were few in number, as he glared daggers at Chiron,_

_"You-" He seethed, "You should be dead, old man!"_

_Chiron tipped his head to one side in amusement,_

_"Well, I'm not, am I?"_

_"Where's the boy?" The captain demanded, "I know he was here!"_

_"Oh, I'd say that he would be out to sea by now. If you want to catch up to him, you might want to get going now."_

_Roi gritted his yellowed teeth, "You lie!"_

_"Sir!" One of his men approached from the jungle, jogging breathlessly, "The helmsman told me to give word that he just spotted a ship leave shore from this area. He asked what your orders are."_

_Roi was quiet for a moment, hand gripped on his sheathed sword._

_"If he wants to have a showdown at sea with me," He announced, drawing his sword with a slash, "Then it's a showdown he shall get!"_

The men cheered as blood shot across the room, splattering the walls. Chiron's throat had been sliced open, as blood trickled from the wound. He gagged weakly a few times, before his head drooped to one side. Roi was about to step out of the room, but heard a weak voice behind him,

"You best say your prayers now, Roi," Chiron mumbled, "That boy...He...He's out to kill you."

Roi chuckled, "I'm certainly interested in seeing him try...This time, stay dead, Chiron. The world won't miss you once you're gone."

He walked outside just as Chiron's head slumped down again. It didn't raise up again the second time. His men began to toss their lanterns into his house, instantly setting it ablaze. He stared towards the jungle menacingly, as his messenger stood beside him, awaiting orders,

_"Have the helmsmen lower some rowboats to shore," Roi said calmly, "We're going to have to get back to ship quickly if we expect to catch up with Mister Jackson."_

Annabeth kept close to Percy's side, but he didn't have much to say after he had announced Chiron's imminent demise. He had been the only remnant of family that Percy had in his life after his mother and father had been killed. He had been his mentor, his teacher. Now he had no one.

Annabeth looked over at him, while his gaze was fixated on the horizon. She wanted to say something, anything to comfort him. But she was afraid that he would lash out, and then what they had built up of their friendship would only be smashed into bits again. She bit her lip with a sigh, before finally daring to speak,

"Percy," She said, getting his attention, "I'm so sorry about Chiron."

He let out a shaky sigh,

"I think...He was ready. Being without your own legs-That's not a way to live. I just hope he got the chance to spit in Roi's face."

Percy hunched somewhat, holding onto the wheel with white knuckles. Annabeth would've sworn that he was trembling. But from what? Anger? Sadness?

"I'm going to kill him," He growled, "He's going to pay for everything that he's done."

Annabeth reached out, clasping him on the shoulder tightly. The tension in it instantly subsided at her touch. Annabeth walked closer to him, standing directly at his side as she looked out across the ocean.

"I don't want you to think that you're going into this alone. Because I've grown to care for you, as well. If you were to be killed..."

She looked down somberly, shaking her head,

"You would be the first person I'd know in my life to die, the first friend in my life to die."

Suddenly, his hands grabbed her arms, turning her to face her. He looked down at her, eyes filled with concern,

"Annabeth," He muttered her name, his voice gentler than she had ever heard him speak before. It made her entire body warm, comforted, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm going to do everything I can to survive this, alright? Worry about yourself for once."

She looked away, "I've spent my entire life worrying about just myself. It's almost nice having someone you have to look after."

"Who said you were the one looking out for me?" He questioned, quirking an eyebrow sarcastically.

She elbowed him, "I do! And you look out for me."

"So, we're a team now? Is that it?"

"Well..." Annabeth thought about it for a moment, "I think it's safe to say yes?"

Percy continued to look at her, a genuine grin on his face,

"We're a team. No matter how much we absolutely irritate one another."

Annabeth reciprocated the grin at this, as they stared into each other's eyes. It was thrilling, but confusing, as well. There were lingering feelings that she had never experienced before, directed towards him. While she wanted to run away to somewhere else on the ship, to try and reorganize her thoughts, she couldn't budge from his gaze, either. Her heart was racing, fluttering in her chest like a restless bird in a cage, but before she could say anything else to him, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

Instantly, they turned towards the sound. One of the huntresses was peering over the edge of the ship, looking into a scope,

"Over there!"

Annabeth and Percy looked in the direction everyone was staring towards, jogging over to the edge. Her giddy feelings during her moment with Percy stopped instantly, as they spotted a ship in the distance.

"It's him," Percy said, his voice steely.

He looked up at the sky, which was clear, but he appeared to be anything but pleased,

"And, a storm is on its' way."

* * *

><p>Percy's seemingly out of the blue comment about the storm eventually became true. As they sailed deeper out to sea, as Roi's ship continuously pursued them, the clouds began to slowly drift inwards, towards the island. And they only grew darker and darker, denser and denser. Until, the first drop of rain hit the deck, just by Annabeth's feet. She looked over to Percy, who didn't react to the raindrop that fell on his nose,<p>

"That was certainly a lucky guess, no?"

He shook his head, looking up at the sky again, "No...It's a trick you catch onto after a while at sea. Anyone in their right mind would be docking at a port right now-"

Then, his attention drifted towards Roi's ship, which was still inevitably getting closer and closer.

"But this needs to end today."

"It's only rain," Annabeth commented.

Percy shook his head again, climbing the stairs to the quarter deck, "It may not just be a simple rain storm, Annabeth. When you're out at sea, in the middle of the ocean, storms can be devastating. They can sink even the largest ships."

Annabeth stood near the base of the stairs for a moment, before following behind. The rain started falling at a faster, heavier pace. It pelted the deck, as well as the few people still on deck who were on look-out, but they stood firm. Percy looked towards Roi's ship again,

"They're almost in firing range," He observed.

Annabeth bit her lip, "What would you have me do?"

Percy paced towards the helm, taking control of the ship once more,

"Stay with me, will you? You can relay my commands to Artemis, then she can pass them on to those who are below deck."

Annabeth nodded, "Of course."

She watched as he continuously looked towards Roi's ship. He was getting drenched, his black hair matted against his forehead. After a moment's thought, she removed the hat from her head as she handed it to him. Percy looked down at it, a puzzled frown on his lips,

"A ship captain needs his trademark hat, no?"

He nodded slowly, before taking it and placing it on his head. Then, without any hesitation, he removed the red bandanna from his neck,

"It's not much," He mumbled, "But this is a trade-off, after all..."

Percy fell silent, trailing off as he tied it around her neck.

"I trust you won't lose it?"

She shook her head, "No. I promise."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but was abruptly cut off by a series explosion in the distance. It was faint, especially over the sound of the pouring rain, but it still cut through the air distinctively. Percy looked up suddenly, wide-eyed as he gripped Annabeth's shoulder.

"Oh my-" He gasped, "Get down!"

Percy sharply pushed onto her back, forcing her onto the deck as a handful of whooshes could be heard overhead. He too ducked, covering his head with a wince frozen onto his face. It fell silent again, and he stood,

"Here," Percy assisted in helping her up, "They just opened fire on us."

"That's what that was?"

He nodded, "Tell Artemis to prime the cannons, but to not open fire until I say so."

Annabeth jogged down the steps, quickly but carefully as to not slip. She pulled up the hatch leading below deck, as Artemis poked her head up,

"Get the cannons primed," She directed, "But don't fire until you get orders to do so."

The huntress nodded, before returning back down as she shouted orders to her troop. Annabeth heard yet another crackle of booms, followed by Percy's voice bellowing,

"Brace!"

Annabeth ducked, as did the cluster of huntresses on the upper deck. More cannon balls sailed over head, but none made contact with the ship. She quickly returned to the quarter deck, where Percy was grunting with effort as he rapidly turned the steering wheel in the direction of Roi's ship. She held onto the railing, her feet slipping back and forth somewhat as the ship lurched off to one side. A small waved splashed onto the deck below.

Percy muttered a slew of curses before calling, "Annabeth!"

She ran to his side, assisting him as he continued to turn the wheel,

"These damn waves are fighting back the ship!" He shouted over the further-intensifying storm, "We need to get closer before Roi manages to hit the ship!"

"Get closer?" She questioned, turning the wheel, "He'll blow us to pieces if we get closer!"

Percy shook his head, "If we get closer, we have a better chance of hitting him ourselves! Once we weaken the ship enough, we can board it, and take the fight to them! This is Roi's last day on this earth, and I want to be there _personally_ to make sure that he doesn't make it off the ship alive."

Annabeth nodded with hesitance, but listened to him. She couldn't question him, not now. Not when he was clearly the most experienced when it came to naval skirmishes. Finally, Percy stopped turning the wheel, as they cut through the waves, right in Roi's direction. She could see a few flashes of light from the enemy ship, followed by the sound of more explosions. Percy shouted again.

She took cover beside him nearby the wheel. Another cannon ball flew overhead, unnervingly close this time. But, they were lucky yet again, and made it through the round of cannon balls unscathed. However, they were only getting more and more accurate. How much longer would it be until they did find their mark?

Percy regarded her again, rain drops falling down from the brim of his hat,

"Get to the hatch, on my mark, tell them to fire."

"Right!" She nodded, before running down the stairs once more. Opening the hatch again, she shouted down, "Are the cannons primed?"

"Primed and ready!" Artemis shouted back faintly.

Annabeth looked up, just as Percy looked over the railing of the quarter deck and shouted,

"Fire!"

Annabeth passed it on, "Fire, Artemis!"

Then, instantly, the huntress shouted the same order. There was a brief delay, until a huge blast rocked the ship. She watched as cannon balls sailed towards Roi's ship. Silence followed, before Percy shouted down again,

"We didn't get any hits! Tell Artemis to prime the cannons again!"

"Prime the cannons!" Annabeth repeated, before letting the hatch close. She returned to the quarter deck once more, as Percy continued to keep the ship on a straight path towards Roi's. As they did, the rounds of cannon balls shot their way got more and more frequent, closer and closer to their targets. Percy had Annabeth return to the hatch and back two more times, relaying orders. Then, Percy shouted a new order,

"Have everyone abandon their posts at the cannons!"

She looked at him, puzzled.

"_Now_, Annabeth!"

At this, she snapped out of her slight daze, repeating the orders. Within moments, the huntresses had scrambled onto the deck, weapons ready.

"What's your plan, Perseus?" Artemis shouted.

"We can't afford fighting like this any longer!" Percy replied, "We're out-gunned and out-numbered, but if we board their ship and engage in a fight there, we might have a chance!"

Artemis grinned, cracking her knuckles with sheer glee at this.

"I'm going to sail this thing into his ship!"

The huntress's cheery mood diminished at this, her smile melting away,

"You're going to do _what_?"

"Just have your weapons ready, Artemis!"

Artemis shook her head disdainfully, before wandering off, muttering something about an insane son of a bitch. Another round of cannon fire went off, followed by a near-synchronized duck as everyone crouched low to the deck. But, Annabeth fell face-first onto the soaking wet boards as the ship buckled severely after a massive boom.

"We've been hit!" Percy barked.

"Obviously!" Artemis shouted back, "How much longer until we can board?"

"A few more minutes! Hang on!"

"We could be at the bottom of the ocean within a few minutes!"

Percy, more aggravated than ever, replied with, "Well then, you best find something to keep afloat with!"

The huntress said nothing more after this, before shouting a slew of orders to her troop. Annabeth only caught wind of the last command in the slew of chaos,

"Get climbing! Go, go, go!"

She looked up, dumbfounded, before realizing that the huntresses were scrambling up the rope ladders surrounding the mast.

"What are you doing?" Percy bellowed, "You're going to get blown away by the storm!"

Artemis didn't reply, climbing out of sight. Annabeth jogged back up to the quarter deck, gaining a better view. He shook his head angrily,

"She's crazy," Percy muttered, "But she's smart. Get climbing, Annabeth. I've got to steer this thing before I try to make an escape, myself."

Annabeth looked down from the looming mast, "Do you expect me to climb that?"

"You're going to have to!" Percy yelled over a blast of thunder, "Now go! You'll be fine!"

She looked at him a final time, before jogging towards the rope ladder leading up. Annabeth hesitated briefly, before grabbing hold as she started to climb. The ropes were slick from the rain, but sturdy. Annabeth muttered to herself miserably as the continued to ascend,

"Damn pirates. Damn huntresses. They're suicidal, the lot of them."

Another blast rung out, hammering her ears as she clutched onto the ladder for dear life. She looked over, and she gasped out of surprise from how close the ship had gotten to them. It was so close, in fact, that she could visibly make out the pirates on-board, as well as hear their voices, even over the roaring tides. In particular, she could hear even Roi's voice, barking orders.

A chill ran down her spine, and her blood seemingly went as cold as ice water. Was it from the extremity of the storm, and she was just now noticing it? No...It couldn't have been that. Surely, it had been Roi's haunting voice sweeping over her. She couldn't give into the fear, not there. Annabeth reached up, grabbing onto a higher section of the rope ladder as she kept climbing. She didn't stop until she saw the sole of a huntress' boot under her face.

"Annabeth!" Artemis shouted down to her from the crow's nest, "We're going to have to jump for it!"

Annabeth called back in response, "I'll be fine!"

There wasn't a response for some time, and when one finally came, it was addressed to the entire group,

"As soon as Perseus makes contact with Roi's ship, we're going to jump! Use the momentum from the crash to your benefit by timing your jump _perfectly_! Does each and every one of you understand?"

"Yes, Artemis!"

"Good! Now get ready!"

A few of the huntresses dangling on the ropes alongside her tossed their quivers or rifles onto their backs, loaded their dual pistols, and brandished daggers. Annabeth looked down at the sword strapped to her hip, then at the pistol hugging her other leg. She was trembling, not just from the cold of the rain, but from how scared she suddenly felt. After the stunt she had pulled against Roi...She was certainly going to be one of Roi's prime targets, even more so than beforehand.

Hopefully, she could avoid him on-board long enough for Percy to track him down himself. Annabeth dared to look up, but barely had time to react as their hull crashed into the side of Roi's ship. Instantly, it splintered into a multitude of pieces. Annabeth flew forward, sailing into the air. The men aboard Roi's ship looked up, drawing their swords as they soared forward. Annabeth just barely managed to break her fall by curling inwards somewhat, rolling a few feet onto the deck before landing.

She looked up, as a handful of the huntresses tore through the sails with their daggers, slowly sinking down to the deck. Annabeth drew her sword, turning in anticipation. A pair of Roi's men greeted her, short swords in hand. Without hesitation, she started to duel them. She parried a few blows, before releasing a flurry of her own, and managed to slice a large gash into one of their arms.

Artemis came to her side, assisting in warding off their attacks. Then, she completely took over, jabbing each of them in the chest. They fell, and Artemis turned,

"Where's Perseus?"

"I don't know!" Annabeth replied, "I haven't seen him since-"

"Annabeth, look out!"

Annabeth had just turned around once more as Roi swung his sword through the air, right towards her neck. She felt herself get shoved, before falling to the deck once more. Artemis began to duel with Roi at an incredible pace. It was no doubt that they were equal adversaries in this fight.

Roi turned his sword, using the flat edge to push back Artemis' blade,

"So!" He shouted, "The great and mighty Artemis came to save the day I see! And why's that?"

Artemis gritted her teeth, "To make sure-That you-Don't leave this fight-Alive!"

Roi released his block against Artemis, before they quickly returned to their fighting. Annabeth quickly got to her feet, running through the chaos that was going on throughout the deck. Huntresses, as well as pirates, were fighting everywhere. And while they were few in number, it was the former of the two who had the upper hand in the fight. She ran to the edge of the ship, looking towards the their ship that was now nothing more than a twisted tumor of wreckage lodged into the side of Roi's hull.

The other half of the ship, however, the section that included the quarter deck, was submerged under the waves. So, for all intents and purposes, was gone forever. And Percy was absolutely no where to be seen. She bit her lip in an attempt to avoid panicking, as she looked farther overboard. Their ship had definitely created a sufficiently-sized hole in the hull. Annabeth looked about for the hatch leading below deck, and when she spotted it, she made a run for it. One of Roi's men pursued after her, but slipped down the soaking wet stairs from his heavy feet.

When Annabeth made it below deck, she had to squint her eyes to find her way.

"Percy!" She shouted, "Where are you?"

The floor was submerged in water, only getting deeper with each passing minute. She waded through, heading in the direction of the wreckage. Finally, she reached it, but found nothing but a splintered mess, with a huge spout of water pouring in from the ocean. Annabeth trudged through, calling his name as she did. Desperately, she pawed through the pieces of broken wood, wincing as splinters jammed into her palms and fingers.

A weak groan escaped from the pile, and she let out a surprised breath of relief. She heaved a small door away, revealing Percy's face as he struggled to keep it over the rising depth of water.

"Annabeth!" He called over the roar of water, "This damn water keeps fighting me back! I need you to pull me out!"

She nodded, and without hesitation, put her hands out for him to hold on to. Percy grabbed them, holding on for dear life as she began to walk backwards, pulling him along. Slowly, the rest of his body started to appear from the remnants of the ship, and with a final heave, he was pulled free. From the sudden exertion, he flew forward, crashing into Annabeth. They fell backwards, crashing onto the deck as she barely managed to keep her head raised over the water.

Annabeth looked up at him, and he looked down at her. She found herself locked in his gaze again, as she had earlier. He broke away after a moment, however, slowly staggering to his feet,

"Thanks," He breathed, "Had I been there another minute, I surely would've drowned."

After a moment, she nodded once, before her eyes drifted down to a massive red spot on his shirt.

"You're bleeding!"

Percy looked down, regarding the wound, "After we crashed, pieces of the ship went everywhere. I guess one got me..."

She stood up, as she tried to inspect it. But, he waved her away,

"We don't have time," He looked upwards, "I have to settle this problem with Roi-Now. Come on!"

Percy jogged through the water, with Annabeth following behind. They dashed up the steps, where the fighting was still going on above deck. However, it had quieted somewhat. He searched around, until his eyes landed on the fight between Artemis and Roi. He charged, battering his shoulder into Roi.

"Get out of the damn way!" He barked to Artemis.

She obliged, limping away as she grasped onto her leg to join another fight. Percy brandished his sword, looming over Roi. Annabeth watched from a safe distance, hand on the grip of her sword as she looked on. Percy stepped closer to Roi,

"Heh," Roi grumbled, scooting away a few more feet before rising, "I'm surprised you and the girl have made it this far. I expected that she would've slowed you down. It's almost a shame that I'll have to kill you both, even after all of the trouble that you've caused me."

Percy lifted his sword, swishing it through the air.

"You act as though you're going to leave this fight alive."

"I am!" Roi bellowed, "And I realize now I should have killed you when I had the chance, to save us all from this terrible headache!"

Percy attacked, as Roi deflected the series of heavy blows he had attempted to bring upon him. He swung again, but missed Roi and ended up burying the blade into the mast. As he tried to yank it free, grunting. Roi reeled his sword arm back with a sneer, preparing to stab. Annabeth ran forward, blocking the strike. She was able to deflect most of the blow, but the blade streaked against hers, cutting a gash in her cheek.

With a triumphant grunt, Percy pulled his blade free, stepping between Roi and Annabeth with his arms wide.

"Get back, Annabeth!"

She listened to his command, stepping away as she held a hand to her wound. Percy and the captain continued to fight, both filled with as much rage as humanly possible.

"My father trusted you!" Percy screamed, bringing his blade down harshly, "And you betrayed that trust!"

Roi returned a blow, as Percy blocked it. He pressed down on him, forcing Percy's feet to slowly slip into a weak stance. The captain noticed this, and with a swift kick, knocked him to his feet. As Percy landed on his back, he shut his eyes as his face contorted with pain. He jabbed the blade into Percy's shoulder, as he screamed in pain.

"Your father was naive to trust me in the first place, boy! He should've known that once you get involved in the matters of a pirate, you're involved in them until the day you die!"

Percy let his head fall against the deck as he forced his eyes to open. He gripped the blade Roi was still digging into him, as a spot of blood began to accumulate on his shirt. Annabeth gasped, and couldn't help but look away as he let out a pained groan.

"And what about-My mother?" Percy questioned, "Why did she deserve that fate?"

Roi pulled the sword free with an anguished gasp from Percy. Blood rolled from the steel, mingling with the raindrops on the deck. He chuckled, relishing in the pain he had inflicted,

"You know me too well to just think that I would pass up an attractive young woman like that. Especially the wife of my nemesis. Why, that was too good an offer to pass up."

Percy let out a growl, propping himself on his elbows as he tried to grab his sword. Roi stopped him, planting a foot on his hand before digging the tip of the steel in his wound. He cried out in pain again, as Annabeth shook with both anger and fear.

"You've lost this fight, Perseus. Accept that fact."

Roi slowly reached for his pistol, as did Annabeth, only much more conspicuously. Her hand was still shaking, as she looked on. The ship deck had gone deadly silent, as if all of the sound on earth had ceased completely. Roi pulled the gun, aiming it as he spoke,

_I'll shoot you like a dog, just like your father._

Annabeth pulled her gun, as the cock of the hammer rushed through her ears. She trained her gaze at Roi. The captain noticed this, but when he did, it was too late. She pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aah! A cliffhanger! But I couldn't resist, plus, the chapter was getting to be pretty lengthy. But check back next week for the final chapter!**

**See you then,**  
><strong>Leaded-Pegasus<strong>


	10. X: Valiance

**A/N: Brace yourselves, this chapter is extremely long! But, considering it's also the last, you guys deserve it. So, enjoy, and thanks so much for reading and supporting the story! Also, make sure you guys read the Author's Note at the end, there's some important info that you might want to know about.  
><span>**

* * *

><p><strong><span>X: Valiance<br>**

A shot rang out, standing out from the rest of the chaos on-deck. Annabeth's arm dropped to her side slowly, and the pistol clattered to the deck. Percy groaned slightly, rolling to his side as he struggled to bring himself to his feet. It took a moment for Annabeth to snap free from her daze before dashing to his side to help him. He was leaning on one elbow, as he held his other hand to the wound with a weakened cough. She held her hand up,

"Come on," She muttered as she helped him up, "You need to be the one to finish this."

He nodded meekly, his teeth chattering somewhat under his lightly-blued lips. Percy rose to his feet fully, picking up his sword as he managed his way over to Roi's side. The captain was sprawled out on the deck, gagging on his own blood as he clawed at the bullet mark in his throat. He looked down upon him, his face devoid of any significant emotions. If one's face could be a neutral expression, then that's what Percy's face looked like.

Roi grinned, before gagging again,

"What...Are you..._Waiting_ for?" He managed between gasps of air.

Percy gripped his sword, staring away for a while as Roi continued to cough, spit, and gasp for breath. He sighed, and then unexpectedly lowered his sword. The captain stared on, as Percy spoke,

"No. This won't end with me killing you."

Roi let out a watery laugh, "You're too much...Of a coward...To finish me off...That's why! You let the girl...Do your dirty work. Is that it?"

Percy shook his head, "All of this time, I wanted to kill you myself. I thought...I thought that I would feel better after I had. And now that you're dying by someone else's hand, and that your demise is inevitable, I can see it from a different perspective. I didn't want Annabeth to kill you...But she did it to save me."

"You dying today was unavoidable. But it wasn't by my hand. It was to save someone else's life-My life. And it's going to stay that way, rather than your death be out of revenge."

Roi cackled again, "So, you're a philosopher now?"

He coughed again, flopping to the deck as he gripped at his throat. Roi writhed around for a few more seconds, before his last breath escaped, and he grew completely still. Percy let out a sigh, slowly turning to face Annabeth. She engulfed him in a hug, as he weakly returned it. As she wrapped his arms around her waist, he pulled away somewhat, looking down as he ghosted his knuckle across her cheek.

The last person who had done that was Roi, and it made her skin crawl like insects were trekking across her body. But from Percy, it was warm, comforting, despite that his hands were ice cold from the inclement weather.

"Now _you're_ bleeding."

She rolled her eyes, "Please, I'm not the one who has blood gushing severely in two different locations."

He grimaced, as he was reminded of the pain.

"I'll be alright."

"Perseus!" Artemis shouted.

They turned to face her as she limped over.

"All of Roi's men are either dead or about to find themselves on the devil's doorstep," She looked behind the two, regarding Roi with a nod in his direction, "And him?"

"Dead," Percy reported.

Artemis released a slow sigh as she nodded, "Good...Good. Finally, the island can be free of his in-discriminatory wrath and greed. Well, what are we to do now?"

Percy sighed, looking out across the horizon.

"I guess we should head back to the shore. How does docking at Port Royal sound?"

Annabeth's heart sunk at this. The fight was over, and now that it was, she had to return home, return to her empty life. Her father, given that he allowed her back after running from Roi, would resume his plans for her. He'd marry her off to the highest paying suitor, she'd bear her husband children, and live a miserable life until she died. And she'd never see Artemis again, never see Percy again.

"Annabeth?" Percy called.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking over.

"How does Port Royal sound?" He repeated, "Is that alright by you?"

Annabeth swallowed the knot in her throat, nodding before she managed a sentence in an attempt to not sob in front of them,

"Port Royal it is."

As she said this, the tears finally bit at her eyes, as she rushed away. She rushed towards the captain's quarters, bursting through the doors as she buried her face in her hands. Annabeth began to sob, tears rolling down her face as she cried so profusely that the pain was welling up in her chest. She looked around the room with blurry vision, remembering the time she had spent in here, diverting Roi's attention as Percy prepared their getaway boat. Her misery turned to anger within a second, as she swept her hand across Roi's desk. Papers, glasses, and other souvenirs went flying across the room, crashing onto the walls and floor.

The doors burst open, as a pair of footsteps sounded,

"Annabeth," Percy's voice said alarmingly, "What's going on in here? Are you alright?"

The door closed, as she turned away completely. She swiped at her eyes, sniffling quickly as she covered up the fact that she had been crying.

"Go away," She whispered, "_Please_ go away."

"Why?" Percy muttered softly, his voice suddenly calm. She felt his hand on her shoulder, but she yanked away.

"_Go away_," Annabeth demanded more persistently.

"Can you please just tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can help you."

"Nothing or no one can help me now."

Percy grasped at her shoulders again, forcing her to turn. It registered on his face that he realized she had been crying, but he kept a sympathetic expression,

"Humor me."

She looked away, "If I go back to Port Royal, my father is going to marry me off to some suitor so I can live out the bland lifestyle of a house wife. And I don't...I don't want that, Percy."

Annabeth burst into tears again, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her gently, letting her cry it out. When she had finally calmed down somewhat, he broke away.

"Now," He muttered, a faint grin on his face, "I asked for your input as to whether or not you wanted to go back to Port Royal. You could have said no."

She looked down at her feet,

"You said that I couldn't stay with you, remember? I don't have a choice except to go back."

He shook his head, "Annabeth, my mind has changed a million times over as to what my opinion is of you. First I hated you, quite possibly more than that bastard Roi."

She smirked, as did he.

"Then, I was annoyed _profusely_ by you for making me run through that jungle."

Annabeth laughed this time around, "Was it _really_ that taxing?"

"Yes!" Percy exclaimed, "You didn't think running through thick terrain wasn't in the least bit taxing?"

"It's easy when you're a little more _dainty_, I suppose."

He grunted in disdain, before sighing,

"Thirdly, I respected you. Saving me from the river, thinking of that escape plan in the town, electing to fight alongside me instead of returning to the safety of your home. And now-"

Percy looked down at her, blinking a few times,

"And now...I love you."

Annabeth drew in a breath, surprised at his words. But she didn't hesitate in a reply. She leaned forward and upwards swiftly, closing her eyes as their lips collided. He returned the kiss, a furious, longing, and persistent one. Percy brought his hand up, cupping it to the side of her face to bring her closer.

She wanted so badly to keep going, keep kissing him until she was panting for breath. And from his own pace in their kisses, she knew he felt the same way. But they were cut short from a breakout of shouting out on the deck. He pulled away, taking in a breath.

"What's going on?" She breathed.

Percy shook his head, "I don't know. Let me-"

The door flew open, as a cluster of men swarmed in. Percy backed away, slipping his hand around Annabeth's as they were forced against the desk as guns were trained on them. Annabeth gasped when her father walked into the room, red-faced, drenched from the rain and fatigued in appearance.

"Annabeth!" He panted.

Her father's eyes slowly landed on their hands,

"You-" He hissed, jowls reverberating, "Let go of my daughter! Now!"

Percy tightened his grip, as Annabeth spoke up,

"What are you doing here, father?"

He readjusted the grip on his pistol as he tore his glare from Percy, "Your nurse told me that you were going to fight Roi after you had...Run away from him. So, I came after you. But I think it's safe to say that we can discuss the full details back in Port Royal, no?"

Annabeth shook her head, "I'm not going back to Port Royal."

"What?" He laughed, though his patience was clearly waning, "I'm afraid that isn't an option, my dear."

"I don't want to go back."

"In life, Annabeth, there's a lot of things that we don't want to do. But we have to do them. If everyone went about not doing what they wanted to do-"

"Enough!" Annabeth snapped, as her father's face went slack with shock, "I'm not going to listen to another one of your lectures. I am not going to leave this ship with you. And I am especially not going to back to Port Royal."

"What?" Frederick asked, "And what do you expect to do then? Sail of into the sunset with a pirate, a petty thief who will amount to nothing?"

"He's amounted to more than any one of your suitors that you have lined up will amount to their entire lives!"

Her father rolled his eyes, "You're a foolish child, Annabeth! This is nothing more than a childish lust for rebellion, to go against my wishes! And for that, you've lost your chance of my lenience! Men, take this scoundrel into custody for the kidnapping of my daughter!"

They swarmed towards him, prying Percy away from Annabeth. A pair of guards cuffed him, before dragging him away.

"You'll be taken to Port Royal, young man!" Her father shouted, "Though I doubt your trial will go over well, because once I have my way, kidnapping will be punishable by death!"

Annabeth called Percy's name again as he was whisked away. Her father came forward, bringing a hand against her face. It stung, but after having been through an excessive amount pain, physical and emotional, over the past days, it didn't jar her much.

"I will have no more of this nonsensical rebellion from you! Now you are going to come aboard with me, return to Port Royal, and that will be the end of it completely! Do you understand me?"

Her eyes dipped down solemnly, but her fiery anger against her father still raged on inside.

"Yes."

"Good," He answered, "We're leaving now. This ship is sinking faster by the minute."

Frederick grabbed her arm, leading her along outside. Annabeth looked around, but frowned when it was devoid of anyone besides the soldiers and the corpses. The huntresses were gone without a trace.

"Is there something wrong?" He questioned, looking over at her with a raised eyebrow.

After a moment, she slowly shook her head, as to avoid raising anymore suspicion,

"No...Nothing."

He nodded tensely, escorting her through the rain as they boarded the ship that was anchored beside Roi's. She watched as a few men came up from the lower deck, carrying with them a plethora of supplies. Annabeth looked to her father in question, but he didn't make an effort to explain as he strutted off,

"Don't wander about, Annabeth. And don't go anywhere near him."

The last of the soldiers came aboard, as they hauled up the small anchor tethering them to one spot. Slowly, they managed to get into a decent position, and sailed away as the rain continued to pour. She looked towards one of the masts, where Percy was slumped over and tied down. She wanted so badly to go to his side, comfort him in some way, but if her father caught her, she would be in even deeper trouble than she already was in.

So, she forced herself to turn away, as she faced the slowly sinking ship in the distance.

* * *

><p>When they reached the shore once more, Percy was frisked away from the ship first. They had to get a pair of stronger soldiers to drag him away, as he was too weak to move his feet. Her stomach gnarled with anxiety as she saw the blood splotches on his shirt had become much more pronounced. He was losing blood quickly, and if it kept at the same rate that it was, she knew he wouldn't survive. She almost thanked her father profusely when she heard him say,<p>

"Fetch him a doctor to have those wounds mended! We can't have him dying beforehand! And have my daughter sent to her room with some guards posted!"

She was led of the ship by another pair of soldiers off the docks, as they walked down the shore, following behind the two that were leading Percy along. Annabeth gripped her fists, wanting so badly to grab the sword from one of the guards, cut them down, and get Percy away from them. But that was out of the question. Even if she did manage to get away unscathed, which was unlikely on its' own, she wouldn't even know where to begin with Percy's wounds.

Annabeth was led along, staring at Percy the entire time. The feelings that had lingered inside her regarding him had become so much more stronger after their kiss, after his constant displays of bravery and kindness. She even ached from how poignant it was. While she had never felt it towards anyone else beforehand in her life, she knew full well what it was: Love. And it was from that love that she was feeling overwhelmingly _lovesick_.

But she knew she would have to keep her feelings, for the time being, at bay. If she allowed them to get in the way, she would never be able to think of a way to save him. Her father said he would see to it that his so-called crimes would send him to his death. And she swore to her self that she wouldn't allow that to happen. Not after everything he had done to save her.

Suddenly, she was turned in a different direction, and barely had the chance to watch as Percy was dragged away to another area on her father's complex. She was brought into the house, which hadn't changed. Why _would_ it have changed in the mere course of a few days? But despite the fact it had only been a few days, it felt like she had been gone for months, years, even. It was then that she thought of her mother.

As she was pulled along, she desperately hoped that she would spot Athena, whom she suddenly missed terribly. Perhaps, she would listen to her, hear her out about Percy, so she could relay to her father to spare him. But, considering how submissive her mother was to her husband's wishes, she doubted it. Still, a small piece of hope lingered in the back of her mind. They arrived at her room, and when the guard opened the room, it revealed her nurse was waiting for her.

She drew in a breath, sprinting the short length of her room to get to her. Annabeth was engulfed in a hug, much stronger than the one the evening before. When they finally broke away, her nurse sighed,

"I was worried that I might never see you again. But now...You're safe. For good, this time."

Annabeth sighed, looking away,

"Nurse, my father...He's arrested Percy, and...He plans to have him executed."

Her nurse raised her eyebrows in surprise, and as Annabeth explained further, she slowly looked more and more guilty. Then, she was completely staring at the floor,

"Annabeth. I feel that I might have some part in this."

"What?" Annabeth asked, "What do you mean?"

"After I had returned from the directions Perseus had given me, your father had discovered that I had left without asking beforehand, and demanded why. I showed him the note, told him you were alive, and how you were going to fight against Roi with Perseus. He rounded up some men, and went after Roi's ship. Had I not told the truth, surely he would have-"

Annabeth shook her head, "No, nurse. There's no need to feel guilty. If you hadn't been honest, he surely would have relieved you of service. I couldn't have withstood that."

Her nurse nodded hesitantly, "Well...I'm glad you got out alive, Annabeth. What you did, that was extraordinarily noble of you."

"I wanted to help," Annabeth replied quietly, before wandering to a chair. Her nurse still stood, and after a moment, she grinned faintly,

"You're in love with the boy, aren't you?"

Annabeth wasn't sure how her nurse had picked up on it, but she nodded meekly before questioning, "How did you know?"

"Well, out of all of the men you've met, he's the only one who didn't try and tame you."

She grinned somewhat at this, "I thought you said needed someone who outdid my fiery personality?"

"Well, I realize now that I was wrong. You needed someone who matched you _equally_. Someone who brought out the best of your fiery side, not the worst of it. So...What do you plan to do?"

Annabeth shook her head, "I don't have a plan. And even if I did, I'd be hopeless in carrying it out. I have no weapons, no supplies...Nothing."

"So, a lack in provisions is all that's holding you back? You're not afraid?"

Annabeth looked up, "Of course I'm afraid, but...But that wouldn't hold me back for a second in saving him."

Her nurse paced a few steps, before stopping and turning to walk towards the door,

"I'll return in a few minutes."

* * *

><p>When her nurse returned again, two of her father's men trotted behind, lugging a massive wooden chest behind them. Annabeth looked over as they set it down in front of her bed, and her nurse opened up the chest before gushing,<p>

"What beautiful dresses!"

The guards looked on for only a moment longer, before promptly losing interest and leaving. When the door shut, her nurse waved her over,

"Come, Annabeth. I have something to show you."

Annabeth walked over, frowning as she got closer. A variety of dresses were folded neatly inside, and she held back from rolling her eyes,

"What good will these do me right now, nurse?"

She knelt down beside her, and when she did, her nurse peeled back the dresses. Annabeth gasped at the sight that was at the bottom.

"Nurse..." She mumbled, "How-Why..."

At the bottom of the chest was a pair of brown breeches, boots, a burgundy shirt and black vest. Stacked on top of the clothes was a belt with dual pistols, a knife, and a sword attached.

"I had a completely different life before my service to your father's household."

Annabeth looked over, and her nurse had a faint, but mischievous smile on her face.

"I used to serve aboard a ship, traveling to the corners of the world to find hidden treasures, or take the treasures we wanted, for that matter. And my time on that ship was the best time in my entire life...I suppose the little part of myself that's still a pirate wants you to go and save this boy. And now, you have the ways and means to do so, if you're still up to it, that is."

Slowly, she scooped up the belt, before fastening it to her waist. Annabeth turned, a look of determination etched on her face,

"Percy is _not_ dying today, not when I can still help."

* * *

><p>Annabeth readied herself, checking and double checking everything was in place. Finally, she looked to her nurse,<p>

"Ready?"

Her nurse walked towards her, nodding. Annabeth counted down from three, mouthing the words. When she reached one, her nurse let out a shrill scream, before Annabeth grabbed her and pointed a pistol to her head. The guards burst open at the scream, muskets readied,

"Drop your weapons!" She ordered, "Or I'll blow her head off! Drop them! Drop them _now_!"

They obeyed, as they slowly lowered them, and placed them in front of their feet. For good measure, they raised their hands, looking on as Annabeth held the pistol to her nurse's head.

"Where's my father?" Annabeth demanded.

"In the dining hall, my lady," One replied.

She swept out of the room, dragging her nurse with her. Annabeth faced the pair of guards, walking backwards the entire length of the hall to make sure they didn't try anything. When she reached the stairwell, she turned, going down the stairs with her nurse still in her clutches.

"So far, so good," Annabeth muttered.

They got to the foot of the stairs, before continuing on. Annabeth rushed them towards the dining hall doors, where another duo of guards awaited them

"Drop your weapons!" Annabeth demanded, "_Now_!"

This time, they stood firm, aiming their guns. So, Annabeth drew the other pistol, and released the one pointed against her nurse's temple. She still stood behind her, however, using her as a shield as she pointed both of her guns at them,

"Unless you drop your weapons," She said, "This won't end well for you. So do it!"

One of the guards waved the other one, motioning towards the ground with his palm facing towards the floor. They dropped their weapons, spreading their hands in surrender as she walked on with her nurse in tow.

"Open the door," She ordered.

They did, and once they swung open, Annabeth stormed in. Annabeth spotted her father, who looked up from his meal, shocked in appearance. She drew in a breath when she saw her mother sitting beside him, but still continued to walk forward. Frederick stood,

"What is this?" He questioned, "Annabeth! Stop this _immediately_!"

Athena was also about to stand, but Frederick grasped her shoulder and forced her to sit. Annabeth glared at them, in an attempt to keep a steely character.

"Where did you get those weapons?"

She grinned instantly managing a bluff to cover her nurse's tracks, "Oh, it was quite easy, father. Your guards aren't as effective as you clearly assumed they were."

Frederick's face went slack, as she continued,

"You know, for the past few days, something hasn't added up about this whole ordeal," Annabeth commented, "Do you know what it is?"

Her father cracked a smug grin,

"By all means, tell me what it is."

Annabeth readjusted the pistol, "You didn't even shed a tear when I, your one and only daughter, was taken away...Why?"

Her father's grin turned into a smirk, as he scratched at his chin,

"What can I say, my dear? There were a number of suitors who wanted your hand in marriage, and Roi just happened to be one of them. This was all around the time I had done the service of _fucking_ his wife, of course."

Athena slowly turned to him, wide-eyed. And if all of the hurt that existed in the world could be projected into one person, then that person was Athena. He sat down and continued,

"I'm assuming that he had already planned to double-cross me, which, for obvious reasons, would make one unhappy. However, I was still unaware of this part of the plan at the time. He had pulled me aside after the burglary, demanding some kind of payment for the theft of the goods. What better barter was there in existence than my sniveling _brat_ of a daughter, who would be taken away and most definitely never return again?"

Frederick sighed, scrunching his brow together between pinched fingers.

"But even now...You're still alive, and are more troublesome than you were beforehand."

Annabeth breathed in, holding it in an attempt to keep herself from shaking with anger. Hot tears prodded at the corner of her eyes as she shook her head,

"How...How could you do that?"

He grinned, "Unfortunately, my dear, the matters of a man with business on his mind wouldn't be able to be comprehended by a naive _girl_. Still, finding you did have its' merits. I recovered my stolen goods, and retrieved my daughter who I can still give away to the highest bidding suitor. At the very least, the few days you were away were some of the most relaxing I've had in years."

Annabeth pulled the gun away from her nurse's head, as she sprinted towards the table. Her father's face grew more malicious as she got closer, and finally, he drew a sword. She just barely managed to dodge the incoming blade, leaping backwards from the few steps leading up to the table. With a kick, he pushed the table towards her, as it tumbled downwards with a massive crash. Her mother screamed, running away from the fight with her hands clasped to the sides of her head.

"How about this," Frederick began, forming the words in a slick manner, "If I win our little spar, you'll go back to being an obedient little daughter, and will do everything I say. If you win, well, let's be honest, you won't."

Annabeth grinned, raising her pistol,

"Don't worry, I will."

A loud bang resonated through the dining hall, as Frederick let out a pained grunt, gripping his side. He toppled over, falling to the ground as he writhed about. Annabeth stepped towards him, kicking the blade away,

"You..._Bitch_!" He managed.

"You should have stated the weapons we were to use in our little spar, father, before going on to say that I wouldn't win it."

Frederick cried out, "When I get up again, I'll-"

"What?" She demanded, placing a foot in the center of his chest as she pressed down, "I'd like to see you try to do anything, you pathetic old man! This place has changed you, father. You think that you're above a man like Captain Roi, because of your wealth and status, but if anything, you're no different from him. What kind of man gives away his own daughter to a cruel and evil man for the sake of getting rid of them?"

Through gritted teeth, he looked up at her,

"Go...To...Hell."

She kicked him across the face, "I'd tell you to do the same, but I'm certain you already have a one way ticket. Now, I won the spar, so tell me where Perseus is _now_."

"Go to hell!" He screamed again, spitting out blood, "I said go to hell, damn it!"

Annabeth drew a knife, forcing him flat on his back with her foot.

"Tell me where he is," She muttered, "Or I'll cut you like the pig you are."

He remained silent, as he tried to struggle out from under her foot. Annabeth forced down harder, before looking over to her mother. She had pulled herself into a confined position, as she sobbed quietly. But she wasn't looking in their direction. Then, she looked down at her father again. She crouched down, forcing her weight upon him even more as she pressed the tip of her blade against his chest,

"Tell me. _Now_."

He grinned, blood staining his teeth, "You won't kill me."

Annabeth dug the blade deeper, just barely drawing blood from the cut, but still enough to cause him pain,

"I won't kill you. But you can be sure that if you don't tell me what I want to know, you'll wish that I _was_ going to kill you."

She wasn't lying to him. Annabeth really didn't plan on killing her own father, as terrible as he was. But for the sake of Percy's own life, if Frederick was stubborn enough with his own, she was willing to have a change of plans. Annabeth slowly raised the blade, and the higher it got, the wider her father's eyes grew,

"Don't make me do this."

But he wouldn't let up, he wouldn't give in. Finally, she stopped in raising her blade, and as she drew in a sharp breath, preparing to bring down the knife, he let out a pleading voice,

"Stop," He muttered, "Please."

Annabeth readjusted her grip, "Well?"

"I'll show you where he is. Just...Don't hurt me."

She backed away, releasing her hold on him. He slowly rose to his feet, as she exchanged her empty pistol for her loaded one. Annabeth pointed at him, then regarded towards the door. He was about to walk towards it, but then she put a hand out,

"Wait."

Annabeth regarded her mother again, who was still sobbing. Her nurse had gone over to comfort her, but as Annabeth walked over, she moved away, her head solemnly lowered. She crouched down beside her, putting a comforting hand on Athena's shoulder,

"Mother..." She whispered, "I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to find out from him in that manner."

"I-" Athena managed, "I should have believed you the first time. But I didn't listen...To my own daughter!"

She began to sob again, as Annabeth winced,

"It's not your fault," Annabeth insisted, "You were only defending your husband, and rightfully so."

Athena sniffled for a moment longer, before looking up, her grey eyes, despite blurry and reddened with tears, were filled with determination,

"That man," She said, "Is no longer my husband."

Annabeth looked down on her mother, before slowly nodding. She leaned forward, kissing her on the top of her head,

"I have to go now. And I don't think I'll be coming back."

Athena pulled her daughter into tight, almost suffocating hug when she said these words. When they broke away again, her mother's face looked extremely pained, but she managed a watery smile,

"Whoever he is, I hope he makes you happy."

Annabeth nodded once more, blinking the tears out of her eyes. They shared in another tight hug, but this time, it was much more brief. Athena was the first to break away,

"Go," She said.

"I love you."

"I love you more, my valiant daughter."

Annabeth rose to her face, looking into her mother's eyes again. She nodded to her in reassurance, a fierce expression on her face. Slowly, she turned to face her nurse, who was standing nearby. Annabeth walked towards her, clenching her eyes shut for a brief moment to flush away the tears that were threatening to break lose. She looked up at her,

"I'll miss you," Annabeth whispered.

Her nurse grinned somewhat, tucking back Annabeth's hair,

"As will I," She replied, "It's been a pleasure and an _honor_ to serve as your nurse, my dear. I wish you the best of luck."

Annabeth crashed into her, pulling into a hug. Her nurse wrapped her arms around Annabeth, swaying side to side somewhat as she occasionally gave a reassuring rub on the back. While yes, it had been difficult saying her goodbyes to her mother, it was completely and utterly heart-wrenching to say goodbye to her nurse. No matter what the problem was, no matter how miniscule it may have been, her nurse had always been at her side to give advice or whatever was necessary to fix the problem. And every time she thought of her mother, it was her nurse's face who appeared in her mind instead.

Her entire life, she had been brought up by her nurse. And despite not being her birth mother, that didn't make a single difference. Annabeth, no matter what, would forever consider her nurse her true mother.

She didn't want to say goodbye to either one of them, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to return if or when she was able to help Percy escape. Not only would her father never forgive her, but she was certain she would be breaking a number of laws. So, she supposed that it would be better to say goodbye then, in the case that she did escape, or, if she ended up failing and was killed. Better to say goodbye then, when she had her dignity intact.

Finally, Annabeth pulled away, looking up to her nurse with tears in her eyes. She smiled down at her, the creases in her face becoming more prominent as she brushed a tear away from the corner of one of Annabeth's eyes. She patted Annabeth's cheek,

"Stay strong, my dear. And don't lose your wits."

She nodded, and her nurse released her slowly. Annabeth let out a low sigh as she regarded her father,

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Annabeth led her father outside, a rag stuffed into his mouth as they walked on. Already they had encountered a number of guards, and each time they did, she would shout for them to drop their guns, and turn away. And, if they tried to alert anyone, she would put a bullet through her father's head. The latter part would almost instantly cause them to heed her warnings, and do as they were told. Her father would point in the direction they needed to go on his compound, and she would push him along.<p>

The heat was especially agonizing that day, despite it being far past noon. It was beating down, with no shade to be found for anyone. She was thankful for the handkerchief, Percy's handkerchief, that was fastened around her neck. With her free hand, she reached up, fiddling with the red cloth. She was painfully reminded of how terribly she missed him.

If it had been a few days ago, she was certain she wouldn't have batted an eye had he been captured then. But things had changed so drastically, and she was thankful that those changes were for the better. She almost, in a way, felt a twinge of thankfulness for what had happened. Annabeth felt as though she had improved as a person, learning what it was like to actually care about someone besides herself constantly. She had never really experienced that before.

And Percy. Even in the extreme heat, she felt goosebumps spread across her warm skin from the mere thought of him. They had grown close, in the lightest of terms. And the kiss they had shared...The goosebumps promptly returned.

There was something so incredibly and overwhelmingly_ intoxicating_ about him. He had been one of the few, no, the _only_ man she had ever met with more than just an ounce of personality. Percy was so full of life compared to those other suitors, compared to most everyone she had ever encountered, for that matter. Despite being an unfortunate victim of circumstance, he never once had complained about it, and never let his optimism fade.

She drew in a breath, jarring her from her thoughts. Annabeth had to prepare herself, for she knew if she did otherwise, she wouldn't see him again outside of her own daydreams. As she looked up, she realized the were approaching a row of small structures made of brick, as well as a cage holding a slew of menacing-looking men. A cluster of guards were pacing back and forth, until they spotted Annabeth approaching.

"Halt!" One ordered, as they raised their weapons.

Annabeth pressed her pistol closer to her father's head, before removing the cloth from his mouth,

"Hold your fire!" He ordered breathlessly, "She's here to see the pirate."

She moved forward, dragging him on before stopping in front of the cage. They looked down at her, licking their lips, but she ignored him as she looked to the guards,

"All of you, lower your weapons, and you-"

Annabeth pointed to the soldier with the keys strapped to his belt.

"Open this cage."

He came forward, and before her father could catch on and say anything in protest, she stuffed the rag back into his mouth. The guard unlocked the door, and just as he did, she kicked her father inside and he plopped to the ground, wide-eyed as he screamed, the rag still in his mouth. Quickly, the door was shut, and locked. The prisoners inside looked down at him, then back to Annabeth,

"Do what you wish with him," She said.

She barely managed to finish her sentence before they started to attack him. The guards nearby looked on in terror,

"Show me to the pirate," She ordered, "Then you can pry your precious employer free."

The guard with the keys opened the door to one of the brick structures, stepping out of her way as she marched inside. The floor was nothing but dirt, with bars making up the roof as a box of light burned down. Percy was leaned against a filthy looking mattress that was on the ground, eyes shut tightly to block out the sun. A filthy-smelling bucket for one to relieve themselves in was tucked in the other corner. He slowly cracked his eyes open, but they fluttered open quickly and the rest of the way when he realized who it was.

"Annabeth!" He said, struggling to stand.

She rushed forward, pulling him into a hug. He let out a grunt, grabbing onto her shoulders as he moved her away from him somewhat,

"Sorry," He winced, "The wounds are a little tender."

"Have they stitched you up?"

Percy nodded, squinting in the sunlight from above.

"Can you move quickly?"

He shrugged, sitting up as she straddled his legs. Percy eyed the handkerchief tied around her neck, before reaching forward. His calloused, but careful fingers tickled her neck as he felt the fabric between his hands. She reached back, preparing to untie it,

"I'm sure you want it back now."

"No," He declined, reaching around to stop her hands from unfastening it, "You keep it."

Annabeth nodded slowly, before suddenly realizing, "The hat..."

"Ah," He sighed sympathetically, "It fell off while they were taking me off Roi's ship."

She nodded again, meekly, before Percy's hand reached up, caressing her cheek as she held onto the hand doing so. After a moment of his gentle, fluttering touches across the side of her face, he leaned forward, before pressing his lips against hers. As his hand that had been against her face shifted downwards to cup his chin, she too broke her hands away, moving them to hold onto both sides of his face. She grinned amidst their kissing at the sensation of stubble beneath her hands.

"What?" He asked, as she felt his lips curl into a smile briefly before resuming.

"Nothing," She whispered, "But Percy. We really should go..."

Percy broke away suddenly, nodding in agreement.

"Right," He replied, face red as he remembered him being a prisoner, "Good plan."

"Don't you want to know how I even got here?" Annabeth questioned with a sly grin. He reciprocated the expression as she slid off of his legs, allowing him to stand,

"As much as I would love nothing more than to hear about your escapades over the past few hours, we should probably get out of here first."

Percy rose to his feet, as she handed him the blade she had sheathed. He took it, balancing it in his hand. He walked outside, with Annabeth following. Percy spotted the guards, who had since opened the cage gate again, and were wrestling to get Frederick free.

He blinked a few times, "How-"

"Like you said," She cut him off with a smile, "We should probably get out of here first."

Percy looked down, his bright green eyes sparkling mischievously as he grinned back. They walked at a quickened pace, eager to get away from the compound. While Annabeth could see that he was trying his best to keep up, he was clearly struggling. His face had taken on an unnerving pallor, similar to that of chalk, and despite the fact that his wounds had been closed up, they were obviously causing him pain still.

He noticed her continuous glances towards him finally, and waved her away,

"I'll be alright," Percy reassured, "Just a little bit sore, is all."

Eventually, Annabeth nodded slowly, but still continued to fret silently. They were about to reach the gates, which were open, when a voice bellowed behind them,

"Stop!" Her father bellowed, "Once you cross that gate, I won't hesitate in shooting you both!"

Annabeth gasped, "Run!"

They both broke into a faster gait, crossing over. Percy was still floundering behind, gripping his side with pain. She brought her hand back for him to take, as she pulled him along,

"Come on!" She encouraged.

He huffed, as his sweat-drenched brow further knitted together,

"Do you happen to have a plan as to how we're going to get away?"

Annabeth grinned, as she led them towards the beach, in the direction of her father's ship. Percy's eyes grew wide as he spotted it, but he managed to laugh out loud as they got closer. They sprinted down the beach, kicking up sand this way and that. To their luck, the dock the ship was anchored to was empty, so, they clambered on, kicking the wooden platform that led up to the ship onto the dock below. Percy ran to a lever, ready to pull up the anchor, but frowned when he realized that it had been pulled up already,

"Odd," He muttered.

As they turned to head up to the quarter deck, they found someone was already there waiting for them, however.

"Artemis!" They shouted in unison.

She saluted them in a sarcastic manner,

"Take the helm, Perseus!"

He jogged up, and as he did, Artemis let out a sharp whistle. Huntresses poured in from different parts of the ship quickly, notching arrows into their bows as they fired at the incoming soldiers. Artemis approached Annabeth, who appeared absolutely dumbfounded at the entire situation.

She placed a hand on her shoulder, "I take it that you're surprised we're here!"

"Yes!" Annabeth exclaimed, "How on earth did you manage this?"

Artemis smirked, "We huntresses are fast swimmers, _and_ fast runners. Once we managed our way to Port Royal, we snuck aboard this ship, believing that we would have to save the two of you ourselves. But, it looks as though you've already done so."

"What?" Annabeth blinked, "You mean-"

"Yes," Artemis interjected with a small smile, "We were coming to rescue the two of you. It wasn't right on my conscious to leave both of you behind, we can't go without proper celebrations for having defeated Roi!"

She regarded the soldiers who were still standing as they fired at the ship from a safe distance. The huntresses switched from their bows to muskets, firing from the deck at them. Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief when the ship slowly began to lurch forward in the waves, with the help of some huntresses who had untethered the masts. They had caught onto the wind, slowly but surely pushing them out to sea. Annabeth braved going over to the railing.

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat as she spotted her father, severely bloodied and bruised, looking on from afar on the shore. He stared towards the ship for a very long time, and she began to wonder if he was looking at her. But, after a while, his hand he had raised to shade his eyes, dropped, as he slowly walked away. The soldiers looked to him, awaiting orders. But none came, as he waved for them to stand down.

* * *

><p>It was a long time before Annabeth felt as though she could breathe easy again. Hours had passed since they had set sail and were cruising down Jamaica's coast, and she was still afraid that her father would decide to go after them. But, after a while, she pried herself away from the direction that faced to Port Royal, and wandered about the deck. Artemis, as well as her huntresses, had long since gone below deck to celebrate, and from the rowdy shouts and fiddle playing, it had gone into full-swing. This surprised Annabeth profusely, considering how much they had carried out that day.<p>

Artemis had given the full story once they were safely sailing. After they had seen her father's ship quickly approaching, they dove into the ocean, taking cover on the opposite side of the ship from where her father had anchored. Once it had left again, they returned to the shore, with the help of a few rowboats and their own swimming skills. Once they made it back to land, they made their way towards Port Royal. And, with their luck, was close by, considering during their battle, they had traveled quite a distance closer to the colony. Annabeth was shocked that they still had enough energy for such celebrations.

Annabeth, from the corner of her eye, looked up to the quarter deck, where Percy was. She wandered across the length of the deck, before walking up the stairs leading up to him. The moonlight from above cast a ghostly light on the ship, as Percy leaned against the railing. She looked at the unmanned helm, then back at him,

"Don't worry," He reassured, "I put plenty of space between us and them. But I think it's safe to say that he won't be coming after us."

Annabeth nodded, walking to his side,

"Thank you."

Percy glanced down, then back out towards the ocean. She leaned forward, resting her elbows against the railing. Silence settled between them for a period of time, one that Annabeth wasn't certain how long it lasted. Then, Percy said something,

"Why do you think he did it?"

Annabeth continued to stare out,

"Who?"

"Your father. Why do you think he had them stop shooting?"

She remained silent, pondering the question.

"I mean," He muttered, "If he wanted to, he could have garnered every single ship belonging to the Royal Navy that was docked in Port Royal and put them under his command to hunt us down and destroy us. But he didn't...Why?"

Annabeth took in a breath of air, "I don't know why, Percy. I just hope that it was because he still had at least one remnant of love towards me as his daughter...Enough love inside of him to spare us and let me go."

He nodded slowly, but said nothing more. Annabeth, wishing to move on from the topic of her father, eventually let out a sigh,

"So, what now?"

Percy leaned away from the railing, gripping it beneath his hands,

"Well," He began, "Artemis informed me that she and the rest of the huntresses have to return to their duties in the jungle tomorrow morning, so that will just leave the two of us. And, considering I've sailed around the world damn near a million times-"

"A _million_?" Annabeth repeated in mock surprise.

Percy grinned sheepishly, "Maybe not a million, but enough times to say that I've seen my fair share of what the world has to offer. But you haven't. So, Miss Chase, where would you like to go?"

Annabeth looked up, her face warm as she processed his question,

"You want me to decide?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed, "We can go anywhere you want to go, see whatever you want to see."

"Well," She muttered somewhat tentatively, looking away briefly before returning her gaze, "I haven't seen London in a few years, not since we left..."

Annabeth looked up after Percy hadn't said anything, but was still gazing intently at her. She shook her head,

"It's alright if you don't want to go. I'd understand it if you wanted to-"

"No," He answered, "Like I said, we can go wherever you want to go. It sounds like the perfect destination! And besides...I haven't ever visited London, actually."

She smirked, "So much for having sailed around the world a million times."

They both laughed briefly, before Annabeth slipped her hand into Percy's. He sighed,

"I never got to thank you for saving me. _Again_."

"You don't have to," Annabeth replied, "I wouldn't have been able to, had you not saved me from Roi's ship in the first place."

He turned completely, taking her other hand in his free one.

"Well, either way, I want to say thank you."

Annabeth closed her eyes, smiling, "Then do it."

She felt him move somewhat, before she felt his hot breath against her lips as he kissed them. His hand snaked around her waist, gently urging her closer. She obliged, pressing herself into him as their kisses grew more and more persistent, more intense. They finally broke away to catch their breath, looking up or down at each two of them turned, Percy's hand still tucked around her waist, as they stared out into the vast, seemingly never-ending ocean as it glittered beneath the pale moonlight, exchanging story after story, kiss after kiss, the entire night.

And they would repeat this every single night for the remainder of their lives. They would look out at an ocean, a city, or a great unknown for them laid out for them to explore...Together.

**_The End._**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's that. I have to say, this was the first ending I've written in a while that I've actually felt satisfied with, even if it is a little corny...Or really corny. I'll let you guys in on a little secret though-As I was writing this, I was _really_ considering having Percy die during their escape. But, since I had to write this chapter at the last minute, I didn't really have the time to plan the possibility through. But, I opted for the good ending, yay!**

**Thank you so much for all of the support, you guys, I appreciate it so much, and I hope you all know that. I've got some more story ideas, and I really want to get them posted for you guys ASAP. One is yet another PJO story, the other one that I just got thinking about is a story, or stories, involving The Legend of Korra. But, for the time being, I'm going to take a little break from posting anything, just to get some ideas and chapters developed. I don't have any definite return dates, but let's just say by early to mid-springtime, I'll be back at it.**

**Thanks again so, so much.**  
><strong>-Gwyn (Leaded-Pegasus)<strong>


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